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HEALTHY
Is My Liver Healthy? Quiz Yourself
Written by Juhi Modi, Medically reviewed by Andres Maldonado, M.D. | Nov 03, 2021 The liver-colored is a night red-brown electric organ that weighs around 3 pounds and sits in the upper right side of the abdomen, above the abdomen. It plays an essential role in hundreds of critical functions in the body, from making bile to digesting food to fighting infections, detoxifying blood, helping the rake clot, regulating rake boodle levels, and maintaining hormonal libra. several factors, such as heavy alcohol use, an unhealthy diet, being corpulent, and certain medications, can affect liver health. The liver can be afflicted by respective checkup conditions such as hepatitis ( liver excitement ), alcoholic hepatitis, viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, and chronic liver disease.
Reading: Is My Liver Healthy? Quiz Yourself
Please continue reading to find out the signs and symptoms of liver diseases. besides, learn what you can do to keep your liver healthy .
Contents
What are the signs and symptoms of hepatitis C and fatso liver disease ?
Some 100 million Americans have nonalcoholic fatso liver disease. In addition, around 2.5 million people in the U.S. are living with hepatitis C, and some 900,000 have hepatitis B. approximately 4.5 million Americans have chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. While these figures are staggering, around one-half of all people with underlying liver disease have no symptoms. Liver disease frequently remains undetected because of many nonspecific park symptoms, such as itch, lack of energy, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal trouble, and broken sexual activity drive. however, some signs and symptoms of liver disease and liver failure are more easily recognizable, such as yellow of the eyes and skin, bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, pale stools, dark urine, fluid retention, and genial confusion. If you have any of these symptoms, it is identical crucial to get healthcare professionals ’ advice, diagnosis, or treatment .
What affects liver routine ?
alcohol
Drinking besides much alcohol can damage the liver and lead to alcohol-related liver disease ( ARLD ). Continued heavy drink in can lead to alcoholic hepatitis, permanent wave scar of the liver ( cirrhosis ), and ultimately, liver-colored failure. however, if you stop drinking or lower your alcohol intake to safe levels, the liver can repair itself .
system of weights
Being corpulent or fleshy can cause a condition called fatso liver disease or nonalcoholic fatso liver disease ( NAFLD ). The risk is higher in people with other medical conditions like high lineage imperativeness, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, character 2 diabetes, smoke, and identical fiddling or no exercise. NAFLD can cause permanent liver damage if left untreated over the years .
Drugs
Certain drugs, such as over-the-counter pain medicines like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin, can cause serious liver wrong at high gear doses. These medications should not be used to treat hangover symptoms because if alcohol is still deliver in the body, it can interfere with liver-colored function and causal agent potential side effects. early drugs like antibiotics, statins ( cholesterol-lowering medicines ), antivirals, antifungals, and steroids can besides impact liver cells. Always consult a doctor before taking any medication. If a medicine can affect liver function, your doctor may order lab tests sporadically to keep an eye on your liver .
diet
Certain foods like impregnate fats, trans fats, refined carbohydrates, sugary foods, and foods with a eminent salt content can make it harder for the liver to do its job. Over prison term, this can lead to ignition of the liver ( hepatitis ), which can cause scar ( cirrhosis ) .
How do doctors check liver affair ?
Doctors check if the liver is functioning properly by measuring the level of certain substances in the lineage. This includes proteins ( albumin, globulin, total protein ), liver enzyme ( ALT, AST, GGT ), and bilirubin ( a pigment that is left over when blood cells break down ). Liver function tests help detect signs of inflammation, infection, scar, and other types of liver price.
How can I check my liver health at home ?
Your liver works hard to keep you healthy. When you drink excessive amounts of alcohol, eat an unhealthy diet, do not exercise, or acquire viral infections, the liver-colored can develop its own health problems. As mentioned, many people are symptom-free or have nonspecific symptoms and do not know they have liver disease. This puts them at risk of dangerous illness, including liver failure and an increased gamble of liver cancer. That ’ south why it ’ randomness important to be aware of the signs that your liver could be in trouble. You should see your doctor if you notice any of the following problems :
- Fluid retention: This is a common sign in people with liver disease, such as cirrhosis ( scar tissue in the liver ). It can manifest as a dilate abdomen or swelling in the branch .
- Jaundice: A darkness urine and/or a yellow shade to the clamber and whites of the eyes is a sign of liver disease .
- Gastrointestinal bleeding: Vomiting blood or seeing blood in the stool can be signs of liver disease .
- Mental symptoms: In people with chronic liver disease, the liver can not filter toxins, which can travel to the brain. This can lead to liverwort brain disorder which may cause symptoms such as confusion, memory problems, lethargy, even coma .
Is my liver OK ?
The alone way to know if your liver is working well is to be checked out by a healthcare professional. Your doctor will evaluate you based on your symptoms and physical examen. They will provide medical advice as to far test, which may include liver function tests. Your healthcare supplier may advise you to get regular checks of your liver-colored function if you are a heavy drinker, you have diabetes, you are corpulence or corpulent, have high triglyceride levels, or have high blood atmospheric pressure. If the liver officiate tests are abnormal or out of range, your doctor may order far tests such as an ultrasound scan or biopsy to check for liver-colored damage .
How do I make certain my liver is healthy ?
To ensure the long-run health of your liver, you should :
- Drink alcohol in moderation .
- Lose weight if you are corpulence or corpulent .
- exercise at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes each day .
- Eat a goodly diet senior high school in fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber foods and broken in processed foods and refine sugars.
Read more: How To Enjoy Eating Healthy
- Be careful with medicine intake and don ’ metric ton mistreat medications .
The good news is that liver disease can take years to develop. If you can catch it early enough, the liver can repair itself, and you can avoid permanent wave liver damage. References :