Liver
Liver Measured by bulk alone, the liver is the big kid on the block. It is both the largest internal organ and the largest gland in the body, weighing in at a whopping 2.5 to 3.3 pounds.
And the liver is not just big. It has clout. This glandular organ performs over 500 functions.
The Ruddy Ringmaster
The liver is a soft, reddish-brown organ that is roughly cone-shaped and sits just below the diaphragm in the upper right side of the abdominal cavity.
| The ABCs of Hepatitis If a friend or relative gets hepatitis, you should talk to your doctor as soon as possible to find out if you need to be tested. Here''''s what doctors know about the ways that different kinds of hepatitis can be transmitted. Hepatitis A is transmitted most often through person-to-person contact and contaminated food and water. Hepatitis B is a blood-borne virus that can be transmitted sexually or by sharing contaminated needles, razors or toothbrushes. People in the health care field are at risk of catching it. The disease can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her newborn. Hepatitis C can be transmitted by people who share needles for intravenous drug use. It can also be transmitted by sexual contact--though that happens far less frequently. Also, some blood used for transfusions prior to 1990 was found to be contaminated. And those in the health care field can pick it up at work. Hepatitis D only infects people in the presence of Hepatitis B. Hepatitis E is rare in the United States, but it''''s a potential risk in some other countries. |
It''''s like a mainframe computer, doing a lot of things at once. But its principal job is to detoxify the blood, says Jorge Herrera, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. All of the blood in the body filters through the liver, which removes any substances that shouldn''''t accumulate in the bloodstream. Restructuring these substances to make new water-soluble chemicals, the liver then sends them on their way in the bile, the yellowish fluid that empties into the lower intestine to help with digestion.
There are two major threats to the liver: hepatitis and heavy drinking. Both can wreak havoc and lead to cirrhosis, a disease where liver cells die from long-term inflammation and scar tissue takes their place. This scarring interferes with the normal blood flow through the liver and disrupts the organ''''s ability to filter toxins. Advanced cirrhosis can lead to impaired mental ability, coma and death.
It''''s pretty obvious how you can avoid cirrhosis caused by drinking. Dodging infectious hepatitis (which comes in several strains), however, is a less sure game. Here''''s what experts suggest.
Lather up. Hepatitis A, the most common type, can be transferred through contaminated food and water, says Miriam Alter, Ph.D., chief of epidemiology in the hepatitis branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. So be sure that you and your family members wash your hands after every visit to the bathroom and before meals.
Vie for the vaccine. The vaccine for hepatitis A is now available, says Dr. Alter. If you are planning on traveling overseas where hepatitis risk is higher, consider getting the shot, she says. Plan ahead, because you''''ll need two doses, the first of which must be taken at least four weeks before you leave the United States. There is also a vaccine for hepatitis B, she says, so ask your doctor about that, too.
Go for gamma globulin. If you''''ve been exposed to someone with hepatitis A, go to your doctor for a gamma globulin shot, says Dr. Alter. By taking it within 14 days of being exposed to hepatitis A, you can significantly reduce your risk of getting the disease.
Fool around safely. Both hepatitis B and hepatitis C can be transmitted sexually, says Dr. Alter. So if you''''re not sure of your partner''''s history, or if you have multiple sex partners, be sure to practice safe sex and use a condom.
See also Digestive System
