The are four simple ways for people to check how healthy their liver is without leaving their house
A doctor has shared the four ways anyone can check their liver health at home. Dr Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist, shares his experience and knowledge with his 473,000 followers on TikTok (@doctorsethimd).
The doctor, who graduated from Harvard University has gone viral after sharing the simple ways you can tell how healthy your liver is without visiting a doctor. Dr Sethi captioned his video: “Liver Specialist: 4 simple at-home tests to check your liver health.”
In the clip, he said: “Four simple tests you can do at home to check your liver health. I’m a liver specialist. First, look for yellowing of your skin and eyes, especially in natural light. This could indicate liver dysfunction.
“Second, dark yellow or amber urine might signal liver issues. Normal urine should be pale yellow. Third, watch for swelling around your midsection, which can indicate fluid buildup from liver problems.
“Fourth, pale or clay-coloured stools can be a sign of liver issues. Share this with your loved ones and follow me for more such liver health tips.”
There are many different types of liver disease. You can help prevent some of them by maintaining a healthy weight and staying within the recommended alcohol limits, if you drink.
Symptoms of liver disease
According to the NHS, most types of liver disease do not cause any symptoms in the early stages. Once you start to get symptoms of liver disease, your liver is already damaged and scarred. This is known as cirrhosis.
Symptoms of cirrhosis include:
- feeling very tired and weak all the time
- loss of appetite – which may lead to weight loss
- loss of sex drive (libido)
- yellow skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
- itchy skin
- feeling or being sick
Find out about the symptoms you need to watch out for and get health advice with our free health newsletter from the Mirror
How to prevent liver disease
The three main causes of liver disease are:
- obesity
- an undiagnosed hepatitis infection
- alcohol misuse
You can reduce your risk of many types of liver disease with some simple lifestyle changes such as:
- trying to maintain a healthy weight
- not drinking too much alcohol
