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The liver is the second-largest organ in the human body with roughly 500 critical jobs. It acts as the body’s filter, flushes toxins, clears medication from your body, metabolizes all food, regulates hormone levels, and more.
Your liver health may not be at the forefront of your mind, but if your liver stopped working properly there wouldn’t be much else on your mind. If your liver stopped working toxins would accumulate, you wouldn’t be able to digest your food, and medications could not leave your body. You can’t live longer than a week without your liver so ensuring it’s healthy and properly functioning is vital to your health. Read on for our tips, tricks, and solutions to avoid liver disease and ways to improve or maintain your liver health.
Nova Vita Solutions
At Nova Vita Solutions, we understand the vital role your liver plays in maintaining overall health and well-being. Our specially formulated Cleanse infusions are designed to detoxify your liver, remove harmful toxins and promote optimal liver function. These infusions are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and essential nutrients that support the liver’s natural cleansing processes, helping to restore balance and vitality. Our tailored weight management programs focus on sustainable lifestyle changes, including personalized nutrition and general fitness guidance. These programs are crafted to help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, reducing the burden on your liver and enhancing its performance. Regular monitoring of liver function is crucial for early detection and management of potential liver issues. Our comprehensive blood panels provide detailed insights into your liver’s health, measuring key markers such as liver enzymes, bilirubin, and cholesterol levels. These tests enable our medical professionals to identify any abnormalities early and tailor a treatment plan specific to your needs. Take control of your liver health by contacting Nova Vita today.
Functions of the Liver
The liver is the largest internal organ and gland in the body, about the size of a small football. The liver regulates most chemical levels in the blood and excretes bile that carries waste products from the liver. It processes the blood leaving the stomach and breaks it down into nutrients the body can easily absorb. Some of the liver’s most important jobs include:
- Produces bile that carries away waste products and breaks down fats in the small intestine during digestion.
- Filters the blood to remove toxins and poisonous substances.
- Flushes bacteria from the bloodstream and resists infections by making immune factors.
- Produces cholesterol and special proteins to help carry fats through the body.
- Processes glucose into glycogen and stores it for the body to convert it back into glucose.
- Produces substances that regulate blood clotting.
- Regulates blood levels of amino acids that form the building blocks of proteins.
- Stores vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B12, D, E, K, and iron and copper.
- Processes medications.
- Converts poisonous ammonia to urea (end product of protein metabolism that is excreted in the urine).
- Clears bilirubin from red blood cells (an accumulation turns the skin and eyes yellow)
What is Liver Failure?
Liver failure occurs when the liver can no longer perform essential functions like filtering toxins, producing proteins for blood clotting, and aiding digestion. It can develop gradually over time (chronic) or happen suddenly (acute), depending on the cause.
As liver failure progresses, symptoms may include:
- Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin and eyes.
- Swelling: Fluid buildup in the abdomen, arms, or legs.
- Confusion: Mental disorientation due to toxins in the brain.
- Fatigue: Severe tiredness and weakness.
- Easy bleeding or bruising: Due to reduced blood clotting ability.
Liver failure is a serious condition that can be life-threatening. Early recognition of these symptoms and immediate medical attention are crucial to managing the condition and preventing further complications.
Chronic Liver Failure
This is the most common type of liver failure that can take months or years to develop. Chronic liver failure is a gradual decline in liver functions that occurs alongside cirrhosis, a condition in which your liver is scarred or permanently damaged. Cirrhosis may be caused by excessive alcohol consumption, hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and other hereditary conditions. Over time, cirrhosis can slowly lead to a decline in liver function and even liver failure. Once cirrhosis leads to liver failure, the only viable treatment is a liver transplant.
Acute Liver Failure
Acute liver failure is when liver failure develops rapidly, over a few days or weeks. This is more rare than chronic liver failure and often occurs in people who have never had previous liver issues. Acute liver failure is considered a medical emergency and treatment will depend on the cause of your underlying liver failure. If medications can not treat the cause, a liver transplant evaluation is recommended. Causes of acute liver failure may include:
- Taking too much acetaminophen or combining acetaminophen with alcohol use.
- Hepatitis (A, B, and autoimmune).
- Ingesting toxins, such as poisonous mushrooms.
- Unexpected liver toxicity from taking certain medications.
- Certain diseases, such as Budd-Chiari syndrome and Wilson’s disease.
Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure
Acute-on-chronic liver failure happens when a person with existing, stable chronic liver disease experiences a sudden and rapid worsening of their liver function. This condition can lead to life-threatening complications and requires immediate medical intervention.
Common triggers for this sudden decline include:
- Infections: Bacterial, viral, or fungal infections can worsen liver function quickly.
- Alcohol consumption: Even a small amount of alcohol can cause rapid deterioration in someone with a cirrhotic liver.
- Medications: Certain drugs, even over-the-counter ones, may unexpectedly harm the liver and accelerate failure.
This condition highlights the importance of closely monitoring liver health, especially for individuals with chronic liver disease, and avoiding triggers that can lead to further damage. Early detection and swift treatment are key to managing acute-on-chronic liver failure effectively.
Treatments for Liver Failure
Patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure may experience quick liver failure over weeks to months, compared to months to years for typical chronic liver failure. Doctors will first focus on treating the underlying cause of liver failure (often an acute or hereditary cause) before suggesting a possible liver transplant. In many cases, a liver transplant is the only possible treatment for liver failure. Living liver donors can help speed up the process of waiting for a donor transplant and can give a part of their healthy liver to transplant patients.
Ways To Improve Liver Health Naturally
Discover effective strategies below to maintain a healthy liver and enhance your overall well-being.
Know Your Risk Factors for Liver Disease
Talk with your primary care physician to understand your potential risk factors for liver disease. This may include assessing your family history of any liver disease, evaluating your alcohol consumption, or being truthful about any unsafe sex. Ask your doctor about any risk factors and if you should be screened for Hepatitis C. Unknowingly having hepatitis C can lead to liver damage or failure, cirrhosis, or liver cancer.
Drink Alcohol Responsibly
Alcoholic beverages can create many health problems that can damage or destroy liver cells and scar your liver. Limiting your alcohol consumption can help lower your risk of developing alcohol-related liver conditions. Talk to your doctor about what amount of alcohol is right for you. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines heavy “at-risk” drinking in males as more than 14 standard drinks per week (more than 4 drinks per day), and in females as more than 7 standard drinks per week (more than 3 drinks per day). Watch your pours and your glass or choice; it’s easy to underestimate a serving size in a large glass versus a small one. A large pour of wine may easily put you over your daily limit.
Avoid Overuse or Incorrect Use of Medications
Your liver filters and breaks down everything you put into your body. Incorrectly using drugs or medications, taking too much or the wrong kind, or mixing medicines can damage your liver. Never mix alcohol with other drugs and medications and be aware of the risk of using street drugs (such as heroin) that can increase your risk of a viral hepatitis infection. Always consult your doctor before taking an over-the-counter medication, supplement, or natural or herbal remedy.
Maintain a Healthy Weight and Diet
If you are overweight or obese you put yourself in danger of having a fatty liver that can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), one of the fastest-growing types of liver disease. Maintaining your weight can play an important role in reducing liver fat. Our weight management services as Nova Vita can help you reach your target goal and reduce the risk of other health conditions. To maintain a healthy weight, you’ll want to exercise regularly and eat a well-balanced diet high in fiber, nutrients, fruits, vegetables, protein, and plenty of water. Exercising regularly will help burn triglycerides for fuel and can also reduce liver fat.
Prevent Hepatitis A, B, and C
You can help prevent Hepatitis A, B, and C by considering the following:
Get vaccinated: Hepatitis A and B are viral liver diseases so ensuring you are up to date on any immunizations is important.
Practice safe sex: Hepatitis B and C, transmitted by blood and other bodily functions, can develop into chronic conditions that may destroy your liver.
Wash your hands: Hepatitis A is spread through contact with contaminated food or water.
Prioritize Hygiene
Prioritizing hygiene is an obvious, but sometimes overlooked method of maintaining your liver health. Ensure you’re using soap and warm water immediately after using the bathroom, when you’ve changed a diaper, and before and after preparing meals. Do not share personal hygiene items such as razors, toothbrushes, and nail clippers that can carry microscopic levels of contaminated blood and other body fluids. Avoid contaminated needles (think at-home piercings or stick-and-poke tattoos) and get medical care if exposed to someone else’s blood.
Bottom Line
Maintaining your liver health is crucial for your overall well-being, as the liver plays a vital role in detoxifying the body, producing essential proteins, and supporting metabolic processes. A balanced diet rich in nutrients, regular exercise, and adequate hydration are foundational practices for a healthy liver. Additionally, avoiding excessive alcohol, and harmful substances, and adhering to safe medication practices can prevent liver damage. Routine medical check-ups, labs, and vaccinations against hepatitis further protect liver function. Effective weight management and stress reduction also contribute to liver health. Contact Nova Vita to learn more about ways we can help you improve and maintain your liver health.
