Pune (Voice News Service): It is pivotal to take care of the liver for our general well-being and health opined experts. This year, 2023, the World Liver Day theme is “Be Vigilant, Do Regular Liver Check-Up, Fatty Liver Can Affect Anyone.” The theme focuses to emphasise the practise of regular liver check-ups, as fatty liver can affect anyone.
Dr. Bipin Vibhute, Director and Head of Organ Transplantation & Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sahyadri Hospitals, said that in today’s times fatty liver is the biggest concern as far as liver health is concerned. Our major liver functions include filtration, detoxification and energy amongst others. The good thing is that our body has liver reserve. While there are no visible symptoms of liver damage till more than 60-70%, the reserve can still be used in case of stress and exertion and this might present some non-specific symptoms like fatigue, lack of energy, swelling on the legs, irritation at work, depression, lack of sleep, sudden increase or decrease in weight etc. This can happen when the liver doesn’t function to its optimum capacity. These non-specific symptoms are common in today’s fast paced world. But these should not be ignored. The best way is to focus on preventive healthcare.
Regular Check-ups a must for everybody
Therefore, a healthy lifestyle and preventive health care is a key for liver health, he added. Considering our current lifestyle, consumption of junk food, alcohol, lack of sleep and exercise, obesity in kids, stress, it is advisable to go for a health check at least once in two years for normal people in the age group of 20 to 40 years and every year post that age.
New trends in health-conscious people can help, but need continuity and moderation.
Dr. Vibhute said that new trends like intermittent fasting, detox, diet plan can help provided everything is done in moderation and with continuity. For example, if an individual quits junk food and other bad lifestyle habits for a few months, it will start to help as the liver will start repairing itself, but if that individual returns to these habits the fat will start accumulating again affecting the liver.
Hydration and Sleep
While sleep diseases are on the rise, this will also affect liver health. Liver repairs itself when we rest during the night time. Lack of sleep can therefore adversely affect liver health. Similarly staying adequately hydrated can help maintain our liver efficiency.
Can Liver damage be reversed
There is no magic wand. Along with medications, lifestyle modifications including diet, exercise can help get rid of fibrosis and fatty liver which are considered the first two stages in liver diseases. But when the liver damage exceeds and goes towards liver cirrhosis liver transplant remains the only option.
