How to ensure optimal liver health?

Introduction 

The liver is a vital organ that plays a crucial role in keeping us healthy. It performs a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and bile production, all of which are essential for digestion and overall well-being. Not only this, but it is also responsible for regulating glycogen in the body, decomposing red blood cells, and producing hormones. Maintaining optimal liver health is vital for a long and healthy life.

This article explores how we can take care of our liver and keep proper track of its health through certain tests. Whether you’re looking for symptoms and risk factors or tests to monitor your liver, this article provides a comprehensive look into liver health care. There are also certain measures that you can take to ensure that your liver keeps functioning properly. 

Tests to Track Liver Health

There are certain tests that you can get done regularly to ensure that your liver is performing all of its functions properly and is in optimal condition. Listed below are some medical tests that you can get done to track your liver health:

1. SGPT test

This test is one of the most important tests that can be done to track liver health. An SGPT test is a blood test done to track and understand if there is any damage to your liver. It can also tell if you are suffering from some kind of liver disease.

Also known as the alanine aminotransferase test, it is part of a comprehensive metabolic panel and can be ordered by a doctor if you are experiencing symptoms such as stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and/or jaundice. The SGPT test price is usually determined by a lot of factors, such as the state you’re living in, the lab you choose, etc. The general price for this test falls between Rs 200 and Rs 300.

1. Liver function tests

These tests cover a large portion of your liver functions and can help in understanding if all functions are working properly or not. It covers different parameters like serum bilirubin (which tracks levels of bilirubin, a compound made by the liver), serum albumin (which tracks a protein present in your blood), and prothrombin time (which tracks the time it takes for blood to start clotting). This test usually costs around Rs 800 and is another great test that can be done to track liver health.

1. Liver enzyme tests

These tests consist of tracking enzymes like serum alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, lactic dehydrogenase, and 5'-nucleotidase. These enzymes are primarily produced in the liver and can help track liver lesions, liver cell damage, and heart problems. These tests can also help in assessing alcohol ingestion in a person. 

Signs and Symptoms of an Unhealthy and Failing Liver

There are several signs that you can look out for to see if you need medical attention for your liver or not, all of which have been listed below for reference:

1. Loss of appetite

2. Inconsistent sleep, loss of sleep, extreme tiredness, and sleepiness

3. Cognitive problems like confusion, bad memory, etc.

4. Itchiness, commonly present in your soles or a specific part of your body

5. Jaundice can be a sign of liver issues and should be checked out by a medical practitioner as soon as possible.

6. Sudden weight gain and/or loss

7. Palms and fingers also become red.

8. Discomfort and pain below and on the right side of your ribs

9. Swelling in your stomach area

10. Blood in your vomit or stool can also be a major sign of liver disease.

Causes of Liver Diseases

Tests like the SGPT test are usually prescribed when the doctor suspects that there are certain causes of liver issues, some of which have been listed below for reference:

1. Hepatitis

2. Tylenol

3. Wilson’s disease

4. Cancer

5. Cirrhosis

How to Improve Liver Health at Home

There are certain measures that you can take to ensure that your liver stays in optimal health at all times. Some of these steps have been listed below for your reference:

1. Lower the amount of alcohol you consume: Consuming alcohol regularly can cause a lot of health issues in our body and can affect a lot of organs, including our liver. It can destroy liver cells as well as cause scarring in the organ. It is best to either control your intake or completely remove this substance from your diet. 

2. Maintain a healthy and nutritional diet at all times: Ensuring that you consume nutritional food is essential to maintaining liver health. It is important to avoid foods that are high in calories, saturated fat, and/or refined carbohydrates. Certain food items, such as fish, chicken, lentils, tofu, olive oil, and nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.), can help maintain liver health. Other than this, you should also have a lot of vegetables in your diet as a source of fibre.

3. Get enough exercise: Exercising regularly and ensuring that you're getting enough physical movement can help lower the risk of developing liver diseases. Regular exercise can help reduce the chances of developing fatty liver disease in later stages of life. This is because during exercise you burn triglycerides, which can help reduce liver fat. 

4. Get tested regularly: Getting liver function and enzyme tests and SGPT test regularly, as consulted by your doctor, can be the one essential key to tracking liver health. These tests provide a comprehensive report on how our liver works and can help in diagnosing any issues that may arise at an early stage.

Conclusion

Ensuring that our liver is functioning properly is one of the most important things we can do to maintain our health. It is important that we consciously take steps and measures to make sure that our liver is functioning properly. This can be done by regularly getting tests done, such as liver function, enzymes, and the SGPT test. Other than this, we can also watch out for signs of liver issues as well as take certain steps at home to maintain liver health.