It's hard to believe that your liver is the second largest organ in your body, second only to your skin. It usually weighs about three pounds and is essential for removing toxins from your body, among many other functions.
Supporting your liver throughout your life is critical for many reasons, including preventing liver disease. Adopting healthy lifestyle habits allows you to keep your liver healthy, enabling it to work properly throughout your life.
If you're concerned about your liver health, the team at Gateway Gastroenterology provides screening and personalized care. Our expert gastroenterologists and hepatologists make up our team, offering expert care to patients.
The liver is an essential gland and organ in the abdomen. It is responsible for many bodily functions, including making hormones and proteins for other parts of the body.
Your liver performs hundreds of functions that are vital for life. Among the most common are:
The liver also helps regulate the body's blood and stores energy in the form of glycogen. It eliminates old and no longer functioning red blood cells.
Although the liver is challenging, many issues can affect it, including hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and liver cancer. Many of these conditions also lead to cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver tissue.
Liver disease isn't simply one problem with the liver – it's any issue that affects the organ’s health and ability to function properly. These issues can arise for various reasons, but the result is usually the same – liver damage and decreased function.
The symptoms of liver disease vary depending on what's causing the problem. Someone with liver disease may not even know they have it if they don't exhibit any symptoms. However, prevalent signs that you may have liver disease include:
Various issues lead to liver disease, including exposure to drugs and alcohol, autoimmune problems, and genetic problems. As these diseases progress, they can lead to cirrhosis, scarring, and even liver failure.
Whether you're just looking to live healthier or genuinely concerned about your liver, you can adopt several lifestyle habits to keep it healthy. Our team recommends following these habits for a well-functioning liver:
Alcoholics aren't the only ones who have liver damage; drinking hard liquor regularly can begin the road to cirrhosis. You may not have to cut out alcohol completely, but it's crucial to speak to our team about how much alcohol you can safely consume to keep your liver healthy.
Some foods are worse for your liver than others, so eating a healthy diet is essential. Eat fiber, healthy fats, dairy, and protein, but avoid overly processed grains, sugars, and saturated fats to keep the liver working its best.
It's crucial to take every medication as prescribed to avoid damaging the liver. Even over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen damage the liver significantly when you take too much. You should also avoid mixing alcohol with drugs for a healthy liver.
Practicing safe sex is one of the easiest ways to avoid liver damage and disease. Conditions like hepatitis A, B, and C, which are spread through unprotected sex, affect the liver's health. Use condoms, limit your partners, and get tested regularly.
Obesity can lead to fatty liver disease, which is a quickly developing issue that damages the liver. Losing even a little bit of weight can decrease the damage to the liver and fight off fatty liver disease.
To learn more about keeping your liver healthy, call Gateway Gastroenterology today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists. You may also request a consultation on our website. We have offices in St. Louis, Chesterfield, and Ballwin, Missouri.