What Does It Mean to Have Low Liver Function?
The liver is one of the body's most important and essential organs. It provides natural detoxification and supports other functions such as digestion. When liver function is low, there can be a severe negative effect on a person's overall health. Pinpointing low liver function and determining the exact cause can head off complications.
Description
The liver is the biggest solid organ inside the human body, and it is also the body's largest gland. Its normal, healthy color is reddish brown.
Location
The liver sits in the upper part of a person's abdomen, just below their diaphragm and underneath the ribs. It spreads across the middle of the upper abdomen and extends partially into the upper left part of the abdomen.
Purpose
The liver stores and metabolizes fats and detoxifies the body by processing and eliminating toxins. It also manufactures and secretes a substance called bile, which helps support digestion and moves fats and body wastes into the intestines.
Evaluation
Doctors evaluate the liver's function through blood work to pinpoint substances in the blood that are affected by the liver's function. If certain substances are low, this may mean that the liver is functioning at a lower than normal level, or what is known as "low liver function."
Diagnosis
The exact type and cause of the low liver function can be diagnosed by determining which particular blood chemicals are low. Low liver function can indicate anything from liver disease and damage to cancer of the liver.
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