Know Your Liver

The liver is the largest organ in the body. It is a wonderfully resilient and complex organ that nurtures and protects your body. The liver performs more than 500+ functions each day to keep the body healthy. Some of its major functions include:

• converting food into nutrients the body can use (e.g., it produces bile to help fat digestion)
• storing fats, sugars, iron and vitamins for later use by the body,
• neutralize and dispose of toxins
• making the proteins needed for normal blood clotting
• fights off viruses and infections
• regulates sex hormones

Liver disease can originate from viruses, alcohol, autoimmune diseases, cancer or bile duct dysfunction. The symptoms of liver disease include:

• Jaundice (yellowish discoloration of eyes and skin)
• Severe itching
• Mental confusion or coma
• Vomiting of blood or passage of black/red colored stool
• Easy bruising and tendency to bleed
• Gray or clay-colored stools
• Abdominal distention or swelling on feet

It is important to discuss any symptoms with your physician and ensure that a proper diagnosis is made before determining the proper treatment of liver disease (including transplantation). By learning more about your liver and how you can keep it healthy, you may actually help reduce your risk of developing not only liver disease but also other health conditions including diabetes and heart disease. Consult with the best liver doctor in Delhi for more insights. 

BY: Dr. Manoj Gupta

Designation: Consultant

Department: Liver Transplant & Surgical Gastro