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Your Liver

The liver is one of the largest organs on the "inside" of your body. Your skin is the largest organ on the "outide" of your body.

The liver has two parts, a right lobe and a smaller left lobe. The liver is found behind the lower ribs on the right side of the abdomen (AB-doh-men). Your abdomen is the area of the body that contains the pancreas, stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder, and other organs.

The liver has MANY important functions that keep a person healthy:

• The liver processes carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and minerals to be used in maintaining normal body functions.
• The liver plays a role in your immune system.
• The liver changes food to energy and acts as a filter to remove alcohol and toxic (poisonous) substances from the blood and convert them to substances that can be eliminated from the body.
• The liver makes * enzymes and * bile that helps digest food.
• The liver works with the stomach and intestines to digest food.
• The liver converts food into substances needed for life and growth.
• The liver produces proteins and blood-clotting factors that the body needs.
• The liver regulates glucose (sugar) in the blood and stores sugar, vitamins and minerals, fats, and other nutrients.
• The liver helps guard against infection.

When the liver does not function properly, sickness and even death can occur. When your liver is sick, it works too hard and produces extra amounts of liver enzymes. If there are too many enzymes in your blood, it tells your doctor that something is wrong with your liver.

When your liver is sick, it can lead to problems like fibrosis or cirrhosis (liver scarring) and liver cancer.

Hepatitis C and cancer are examples of illnesses that can affect the liver.

The liver breaks down waste products in your body. A sick liver can't do a good job of getting rid of waste products. One waste product is bilirubin (billy-roobin). When bilirubin begins to build up in the body, it makes the skin of the person turn a yellow-orange color. This is called jaundice (john-dis). This is often seen with hepatitis.

You cannot live at all without your liver.

Be Good to Your Liver!!

• Don't take medicines unless a doctor has told you to. Don't use over the counter medicine unless you really need it.
• Use very little or no alcohol.
• Don't inject illegal drugs. Sharing equipment to use drugs can let other people's blood inside you, which can make your liver sick. Needles, cookers, and filters are different kinds of drug use equipment that you should not share. Sharing drug equipment is dangerous. Never touch a drug needle (syringe) that has been thrown away.
• Don't get other people's blood inside you.
• Do all you can to avoid infection and excess wear and tear on your liver.
• Practice safe sex.
• Maintain a healthy diet.

Definitions For This Page - In Alphabetical Order

* Bile
A yellowish-green fluid made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Bile is excreted into the * small intestine, where it helps digest fat.

* Enzymes
A protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the body.

* Small Intestine
The small intestine is the organ where most digestion occurs. It measures about 22 feet and includes the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine, right after your stomach, jejunum is the middle section of the small intestine between the duodenum and ileum, and the ileum is the lower end of the small intestine. More about Small Intestine.

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References:
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
October 2006
www.hepatitis.va.gov

The information discussed above is a general overview and does not include all the facts, or include everything there is to know about any medicine and/or products mentioned. Do not use any medicine and/or products without first talking to your doctor. Possible side effects of medications, other than those listed, may occur. Other brand names or generic forms of this medicine may also be available. If you have questions or concerns, or want more information, your doctor or pharmacist has the complete prescribing information about this medicine and possible drug interactions.