HEALTH
You cannot live without a healthy liver
Published: Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 3:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, July 10, 2009 at 3:53 p.m.
Some parts of our body we can live without. The loss of an arm or a leg is sorely missed but not a fatal event. But one of the body parts we cannot live without is the liver.
Just this month, consumers learned that the common pain-relieving drug Tylenol (acetaminophen) is considered so threatening to the liver in high doses that a panel of the Food and Drug Administration is recommending a variety of actions, including pulling some formulas off the market altogether.
The liver is the largest organ in the human body, weighing over three pounds in an average adult. Taking up most of the space just below the right diaphragm, the liver stretches all the way to the left side of the abdomen, tucked neatly in under the lower ribs. This organ has many important functions that are essential to life.
It’s your liver at work when:
You cut yourself and not only do you not feel weak due to loss of blood, but the bleeding stops within a few minutes.
The liver manufactures proteins to maintain adequate blood volume. It also makes the clotting factors necessary to control bleeding.
You get your cholesterol panel back from the lab and the numbers are still elevated even though you’ve been eating well and exercising.
The liver manufactures cholesterol which is essential for many body functions, but some livers make more cholesterol than is needed.
You haven’t eaten in several hours but still have the energy to finish one more project before getting something to eat.
The liver processes fat, protein, and carbohydrates, sending these out to be stored in fatty tissues and then used for energy later in the day. The liver can also use stored sugars for short-term usage to supply you with energy if you go too long between meals.
You enjoy a general healthy sense of well-being.
The liver makes bile, which enables you to absorb fats and certain vitamins necessary for good health. It also processes waste formed by normal body functions. As an example, bilirubin, created by the natural breakdown of red blood cells, is processed and cleared by the liver.
You drink any alcohol, take any medication, or expose your body to any environmental toxins in foods or drinks.
The liver is your detoxifier, taking in harmful substances and their by-products, processing them so they are no longer harmful, and then excreting them from the body. Many medications, after having the desired therapeutic effect, break down into waste products that are then dependent on the liver to be safely cleared from the body. This is why some prescriptions require periodic tests of liver functions to make sure the medication is causing no harm.
Livers are forgiving and can actually regenerate themselves if the damage is not too great, but there are certainly ways to damage this organ beyond repair. Harmful effects can be infectious, environmental, or even hereditary.
Hepatitis is an occasionally fatal infectious inflammation of the liver, most often caused by a virus spread through intimate contact or contaminated water. If hepatitis is acute, it may clear without residual damage but if it becomes chronic it can cause long-term liver dysfunction.
When healthy tissue is replaced by scar tissue (cirrhosis), the liver is less able to perform its duties. Overuse of medications, recreational drugs, alcohol and chronic viral infections can scar the liver, causing cirrhosis.
Cancer, usually spread from a primary source like the colon or breast, is another unfortunate cause of liver failure. In addition, some hereditary diseases like hemochromatosis (iron build-up) can damage liver tissue.
Symptoms of liver dysfunction include jaundice (yellow skin), bleeding, easy bruising, swelling, or overwhelming and persistent fatigue.
Determining the health of your liver is usually as simple as a blood test, but may also require taking a biopsy to evaluate the actual tissue.
While the liver is made to withstand a lifetime of exposure, and to process many toxic substances in our environment, it can be damaged beyond repair if you are not paying attention. Just remember: This is one complex and essential organ you want to protect for as long as possible.
Dr. Stacey Kerr, a longtime Sonoma County family physician, graduated from UC Davis Medical School and is certified in her specialty by the American Board of Family Medicine. Her columns are not intended as a substitute for hands-on medical advice or treatment. Consult your health care provider before adhering to any recommendations in this column. E-mail comments to drkerr@the-doctors-inn.com.
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