Liver

What is my liver?

Your liver is the largest internal organ in your body and one of the only organs that can regenerate itself. The liver plays a crucial role in filtering blood, storing energy and producing bile for digestion.

Unfortunately, hundreds of diseases and conditions can damage your liver so it can’t work. Some of these can be life-threatening. Hepatologists, medical specialists who diagnose and treat liver disease, can treat and sometimes cure these diseases. And there are many things that you can do to keep your liver well and working as it should.

What is the liver’s function?

Your liver’s biggest job is filtering harmful substances and waste from your blood. Every day, your liver filters more than 250 gallons of blood. If that wasn’t enough, and among many other duties, your liver also:

• Makes cholesterol that your body uses in different ways
• Helps produce certain hormones, protects your cells and is a key ingredient in bile production
• Makes proteins — like clotting factors that manage bleeding and albumin, which manages fluid pressure in your bloodstream
• Helps keep your blood glucose levels steady by storing glycogen (glucose) and releasing it into your bloodstream to keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel
• Breaks down toxins and germs so they safely leave your body in your pee and poop
• Works by breaking down fats in your blood to produce energy, and if there are too many, they may get stored as extra fat

Where is my liver located?

Your liver is on the right side of your upper body. It’s located under your ribs, just next to your stomach.

What does my liver look like?

Your liver looks like a spongy, reddish-brown wedge of tissue. The wedge, which may be about the size and shape of a football, may weigh between 3 and 5 pounds.

The liver has two lobes (sections). The lobe on the right is slightly larger than the lobe on the left. Both lobes contain many blood vessels and thousands of smaller lobes (lobules) that are tiny clusters of liver cells (hepatocytes).

Some of the important parts of your liver anatomy include:

• Lobules: These are tiny clusters of liver cells that connect with your bile ducts, the tubes that transport bile from your liver to your small intestine.
• Hepatic veins: These are blood vessels in your liver’s lobes that carry blood through your liver so it can remove waste and toxins that eventually leave your body through your pee and poop.
• Bile ducts: Bile ducts carry the bile that your liver produces out to the rest of your body.

What common conditions and disorders can affect my liver?

There are over 100 types of liver diseases, but they fall into a handful of subtypes. Examples include:

• Alcohol-induced hepatitis: Heavy alcohol use can cause acute or chronic hepatitis (inflammation in your liver). If it’s frequent or lasts a long time, it can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure.
• Bile duct obstruction: Conditions that block the flow of bile through your bile ducts can cause it to build up and injure your liver. Gallstones and biliary stricture (narrowing) are some common causes.
• Inherited metabolic disorders: Some of these disorders can cause toxic products to build up in your blood. Hemochromatosis is one example.
• Liver lesions: These are abnormal growths in your liver. Most are benign (noncancerous), including liver cysts and liver hemangiomas. But some abnormal growths are liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer in your liver) and hepatoblastoma.
• Steatotic (fatty) liver disease: These are conditions that involve fat buildup in your liver. Condition types include alcohol-related liver disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and non-alcohol-related steatohepatitis.
• Toxic hepatitis: Chronic overexposure to toxins, like industrial chemicals or drugs, can cause acute or chronic hepatitis.
• Viral hepatitis: Viral hepatitis infections can become chronic infections that cause chronic liver disease, including hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Hepatitis A is an acute (short-term) infection.

What are common signs and symptoms of liver problems?

Common early symptoms of liver problems include:

• Upper abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Your skin and eyes turning yellow (jaundice)

When liver disease is more advanced and your liver function declines, you may develop many other symptoms, like:

• Confusion or mild cognitive impairment
• Dark-colored pee and light-colored poop
• Fatigue
• Musty-smelling breath
• Swollen belly or legs

What tests can check my liver health?

Healthcare providers may use a combination of tests to check on your liver or to diagnose liver diseases, like:

• Blood tests: Liver function tests measure substances in your blood that your liver produces, like liver enzymes, proteins and bilirubin. High or low levels may indicate liver disease.
• Imaging tests: Imaging tests of your liver can show signs of inflammation, lesions or scarring. Examples include liver ultrasound, CT scan, nuclear liver scan and elastography.
• Liver biopsy: To diagnose some conditions, your healthcare provider might need to take a small tissue sample from your liver to examine in a lab. They can usually do this with a hollow needle.

What are common treatments for liver conditions?

Different treatments are available to treat different liver diseases, including medications and surgery. The most common — and important — treatment for liver disease is reducing stress on your liver through diet and lifestyle changes. If liver disease reaches the end stages, you’ll need a liver transplant.

How can I take care of my liver?

To keep your liver healthy and functioning well, you can:

• Avoid infections: Washing your hands, being vaccinated against hepatitis and practicing safe sex all help reduce your risk of infections that can harm your liver.
• Avoid excess toxins: If you drink beverages with alcohol, limit your drinks to one or two a day. If you use tobacco, try to quit and ask your healthcare provider for helpful resources. And be sure to use medications as directed. Avoid unnecessary herbal supplements.
• Eat well: Consider the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on whole foods and healthy fats. Maintaining a weight that’s healthy for you can also help to prevent metabolic liver disease.

When should I contact a healthcare provider?

Liver disease symptoms can be vague and may feel like many other diseases. Belly aches and nausea might mean stomach flu rather than liver disease. But stomach pain that doesn’t go away, unintended weight loss and jaundice (yellow eyes and skin) are reasons to contact a healthcare provider.