The liver is an important organ of the body that is located on the upper right side of your abdomen, just under your rib cage. This organ plays a key role in the process of food digestion, and aids your body to get rid of certain toxic components. While acting as a filter for your blood, liver also produces certain essential hormones, stores energy and builds compounds that allows your gut to digest food effectively.
Some of the major functions of the liver are:
- Production of certain vital proteins for blood plasma
- Production of bile that aids in carrying away waste and breaking down of fats in the small intestine during the process of digestion
- Production of special proteins that help in carrying fats and cholesterol through the body
- Conversion of any excess glucose into glycogen for storage, as well as to balance and make glucose as per the need
- Regulation of blood levels of amino acids that form the building blocks of protein
- Regulating blood clotting
- Clearing bilirubin from red blood cells
- Resisting infections by strengthening the immunity system and removing bacteria from the bloodstream
- Eradicating toxins from the blood stream
- Conversion of poisonous ammonia into urea
Due to the several functions performed by it, maintaining the good health of the liver is essential for your health well-being. Any kind of damage suffered by this organ would have a significant adverse impact on your health. Liver ailments can either be genetic or can be caused due to various external factors, such as viruses and alcohol consumption. Liver specialists in well-known hospitals such as Gangaram also opine that these days obesity is also a major health condition that might lead to liver damage. Over a period of time, the damages suffered by your liver might lead to severe scarring or cirrhosis that may subsequently lead to liver failure which is a life-threatening condition. Some of the common symptoms of liver damage can be:
- High abdominal pain
- Irritability of skin
- Skin itching
- Dark-colored urine
- Swelling of the abdomen
- Yellowish discoloration of eyes and skin
- Abnormal swelling in the feet
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
At the onset of any of the above described symptoms, even if in mild condition, Visit Liver specialist gangaram hospital must be contacted at once, so they can diagnose the condition and suggest a suitable management plan at the earliest.
Dr. Vikas Singla 