Most of you know how to look after your heart and lungs but what about the organs you rarely think of? Learn about the ins and outs of your liver, kidneys and gallbladder and how to keep them healthy…

You may think that you’ve cracked fitness by having a good old cardiovascular workout a few times a week, perhaps combined with a bit of weight training – and if you are managing to do this, give yourself a pat on the back. But while you tend to focus on your heart and lung health when you think about overall fitness, how many of you spare a thought for your other internal organs? Here, we look at the steps you can take to maintain the health of your liver, kidneys and gallbladder.

How’s your gall bladder?
Most of you are blissfully unaware of your gall bladders until a problem occurs. The gall bladder sits under the liver and its function is to store and concentrate bile – a liquid produced in the liver to help with  the digestion of fats. The gall bladder releases bile into the digestive system as and when required. The gall bladder isn’t a vital organ, and you can happily live without it if things do go wrong.

Gall bladder problems
The commonest problem in the gall bladder is the formation of gallstones, small stones, usually made from cholesterol. Many people (up to 15% of the population) get them, and most show no symptoms. The sorts of symptoms that can arise range from intermittent abdominal pain in uncomplicated cases to intense, severe abdominal pain, jaundice and fever in complicated ones. In either case, the problem is usually resolved by the removal of the gall bladder – often with keyhole surgery. However, in uncomplicated cases there may be no need for surgical intervention and drugs or ultrasound treatment may suffice.

Look after your gall bladder
Gallstones aren’t always preventable, as age and gender are determining factors (they are more common in women). However, being obese and eating a diet high in saturated fats are thought to be risk factors.

So, to try to help lower your risk:

• Cut down on saturated fats,which are found in pies,pastries, biscuits and cakes.
• Increase your intake of low-fat, high-fibre foods.
• Maintain a healthy weight,both through diet and exercise.

For more information on gall bladder health, visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/gallstones.

How are your kidneys?
The kidneys perform several vital functions. They filter about 200 litres of fluid every day, cleansing the blood of toxins and preventing fluid retention. They regulate the balance of salts and chemicals in the body and they produce two hormones, one to help control blood pressure and another to regulate the production of red blood cells. The kidneys also generate an active form of vitamin D, which is important for bone health.

Kidney disease
Among children and teenagers, kidney disease is usually due to congenital birth defects or genetic disorders. For the rest of you, conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and inflammatory disease become more common as you age, and all of them can cause kidney illnesses.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
As with the liver, kidney disease can lie undetected for quite some time. This is because you’re born with more kidney function than you actually need. There are several causes of kidney disease, and certain people are at greater risk than others. These include people with diabetes, vascular disease, high blood pressure and heart problems.
CKD is most often detected through a routine blood or urine test; otherwise it can go undetected until it is at an advanced stage.

Its symptoms include tiredness; swollen ankles, feet or hands; shortness of breath; nausea and blood or protein in the urine.

Drug treatment can help to halt or slow the advance of CKD which, if left unchecked, can ultimately lead to kidney failure.

Kidney stones
Sometimes a build-up of waste products in the kidneys can crystallise, causing ‘stones’. These usually pass through the urinary tract without treatment, but if they become large enough to block the blood, the kidney or ureters – the tubes that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder – they will need treatment. There are several procedures to break down or remove larger stones, including surgery.

Kidney stones affect more men than women and they are most common among people aged between 30 and 60.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
These are usually bacterial and are more common in women than men because women have a shorter urethra – the tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for removal out of the body. Urinary tract infections are most commonly caused by intestinal bacteria becoming transferred from faeces to the ureter, and can be prevented by wiping from front to back after passing a stool. They can cause pain or burning sensations on passing urine as well as abdominal pain, but they do usually clear up by themselves or, in some cases, by taking antibiotics.

Look after your kidneys
The sorts of things that can harm your kidneys include:

• Eating a diet high in fat and salt.
• Regularly drinking too few fluids.
• Being overweight.
• Untreated high blood pressure.
• Smoking.
• Taking too manyover-the-counter painkillers.

So to look after your kidneys, you should do the following:

• Reduce the amountof salt and fat in your diet.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Take regular exercise.
• Maintain a sensible weight.
• Have your blood pressure checked regularly.
• Talk to your GP for adviceif you use painkillers frequently.
• If there’s a family history of kidney disease, have a regular kidney function blood test (ask your GP for details).

For more information on kidney health, visit www.kidney.org.uk.

How’s your liver?
The liver is the largest internal organ. It is complex and powerful, with a greater ability for self-repair than any other – but this doesn’t mean it’s immune to damage or disease. This organ performs hundreds of tasks, including taking nutrients from the blood; cleansing the blood of toxins and recycling waste into building blocks to strengthen the body. The liver also ensures that the body has energy for all its functions.

Liver disease
The liver has a breaking point, however, and liver disease is the UK’s fifth biggest killer. There are often no symptoms of the disease until it’s at an advanced stage, which is why it’s vital to treat the liver with respect.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
NAFLD describes conditions caused by a build-up of fat within the liver cells. People most often affected
are overweight or obese, and the condition is also linked to diabetes. If detected early, there’s a good chance of recovery with adjustments to diet, exercise and weight control. In general, the condition isn’t harmful, but people with non-fatty liver disease are predisposed to heart attacks and strokes. If it’s left unchecked, it can lead to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis and cirrhosis. Cirrhosis isn’t fatal, but it carries a high risk of liver cancer or liver failure developing, both of which can be deadly.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD)
This is similar to NAFLD, but where the disease is caused by alcohol, the first development after a fatty liver itself is alcoholic hepatitis. Left unaddressed, this can progress to fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Hepatitis
Meaning inflammation of the liver, hepatitis can have several causes, including excessive alcohol; contracting the virus hepatitis A (commonly picked up abroad from unwashed fruit and vegetables or contaminated water); contracting hepatitis B or C viruses; and the side effects from certain drugs.

In the UK, hepatitis B and C are the most problematic. Transmitted via blood-to-blood contact, drug users who share needles are vulnerable, as are people in jobs where they come into contact with blood and those who received donor organs or blood products via transfusions pre-1991.

Chemical damage
Chemicals that give off toxic fumes, such as paint thinners and aerosols, can cause long-term harm because they’re carried to the liver from the lungs. Always wear a mask, cover exposed skin, work in well-ventilated areas and wash your skin after contact with chemicals. Never take medication or drugs while drinking alcohol, as the interaction of the substances can harm your liver.

Look after your liver
Follow these steps to keep your liver in tip-top condition:

• Watch your alcohol intake. Drink no more than two to three units per day if you’re a woman, and no more than three to four if you’re a man. If you drink alcohol and you’re overweight, you face triple the risk  of liver disease.
• Drink safely. Don’t binge drink and try to have at least two consecutive ‘dry’ days per week.
• Maintain a sensible weight. Your ideal weight is best measured in terms of your BMI (body mass index). To find your BMI, use an online calculator. The ideal range is between 18.5-24.9. Eating more wholegrains, wholemeal, fruit, vegetables and low-GI (glycaemic index) foods, as well as drinking plenty of water will help you to control your weight.
• Exercise. Walking, cycling, swimming, dancing or doing any other form of exercise that raises your heart rate on a regular basis will all be hugely beneficial to your health.

For more information on liver health, go to www.britishlivertrust.org.uk.

Liver disease in pregnancy
There’s a serious liver condition of pregnancy called obstetric cholestasis (OC) that can cause severe complications, including stillbirth and foetal distress. It’s characterised by extreme itchiness of the skin, especially on the hands and feet, and it needs prompt medical attention. Since there’s no effective treatment, women with OC usually have their babies delivered early and are well themselves after the birth. There have been no reports of harm to babies after they have been delivered.

1. Stop smoking. Your liver and kidneys have to work extra hardto rid your body of the toxins you inhale.
2. Reduce your alcohol intake. All your organs have to work hard to metabolise alcohol which, when taken in excess, raises your blood pressure, increases your weight and floods your body with toxins.
3. Lose weight. Being overweight or obese leads to high blood pressure, increased fat production and high levels of cholesterol in the blood – all of which have a detrimental effect on your body’s organs.

Dr Chris says… ‘Most of us do not drink enough water and the best indicator of the level of your body’s hydration is your waste water – your very own pee! The paler your pee the better’.

Illustrations: Nicola Scott