The liver is the largest organ inside the body, sitting just under the rib cage on the right side of the abdomen. It helps the other digestive organs digest, absorb, and process food, and it also helps eliminate toxic substances.

The liver’s primary function is to filter blood from the digestive tract before it is passed to the rest of the body.

Common liver disorders

Hepatitis
Viral hepatitis causes inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis A, B, and C are distinct diseases affecting the liver. Your doctor will run tests to determine which type of hepatitis you have and then choose the best treatment options.

Cirrhosis
Long-term damage to the liver creates scarring, called Cirrhosis. The scar tissue forms, making the liver unable to function properly. An unhealthy liver makes it difficult to fight infection and clean the blood to help food digestion. Cirrhosis is caused by chronic alcoholism and hepatitis.

Cirrhosis can lead to other problems like high blood pressure, enlarged veins in the esophagus and stomach, and kidney failure.

Gallstones
Gallstones are pieces of solid material that form in the gallbladder, a small organ located under the liver. The gallbladder helps the digestive process by storing bile and secreting it into the small intestine when food enters. Gallstones form when there is an imbalance in the substances that make up bile. Genetics, body weight, diet, and decreased mobility are all factors that can lead to gallstones.

Gallstones are called silent stones because typically, no symptoms show. However, when symptoms do appear, they are usually pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, or vomiting.

Liver cancer
Typically, most liver cancer forms in other parts of the body and then spreads to the liver. The liver performs essential functions like removing toxins from the blood and preparing it for excretion. Because all the blood in the body must pass through it, the liver is unusually accessible to cancer cells traveling in the bloodstream.

Primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), cancer that starts in the liver, only accounts for 2% of cancers in the U.S. Primary liver cancer tends to occur in livers damaged by birth defects, alcohol abuse, or chronic infections.
Men are at a much higher risk than women for primary liver cancer, which affects twice as many men as women, making it the most common type of cancer in males over 50.
Liver failure
Liver failure usually occurs gradually over many years when large parts of the liver become damaged from infection, genetic diseases, and alcohol abuse. Because the liver is unable to function properly, liver failure is a life-threatening condition that demands urgent care.

Liver failure may be difficult to diagnose, but early symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Other severe symptoms are jaundice, bleeding easily, and a swollen abdomen.