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MCC Daily Tribune

October is Liver Awareness Month

National Liver Awareness Month in October encourages you to act early and be safe in preventing liver disease. Did you know that almost 33,000 Americans die annually from liver cancer every year, according to the American Liver Foundation? Risk factors leading to cirrhosis include chronic viral hepatitis, obesity, alcoholism, as well as poor lifestyle choices. But there is hope. With early detection, you can double your survival rate. National Liver Awareness Month has events planned all over the country to keep you informed about that heavy lifter in your body, the liver.

WHY NATIONAL LIVER AWARENESS MONTH IS IMPORTANT

  1. It's all about loving our liver

    The liver is the heavyweight champion of our bodies. It's our second largest organ — and sits right under your rib cage on your right side. Even though your liver weighs only about three pounds, it is the hardest- working organ. The liver functions to cleanse toxins, produce energy and help your digestion. Bottom line, you gotta love your liver because it works so hard keeping all the bad stuff out of your blood.

  2. Choose wellness over disease

    Watch your weight, eat a balanced diet, and exercise regularly to avoid diseases like Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Look out for toxins lurking in your environment that can damage your precious liver cells. When you use cleaning products or insecticides, make sure the room has good ventilation. Bottom line, you only have one liver and you can't live without it.

  3. Drugs and alcohol are not the only villains of liver disease

    Anyone can have liver disease including young children. Unfortunately, many people assume that if someone develops this illness, they may be abusing drugs or alcohol. Not true. The American Liver Foundation reports that obesity and hepatitis B and C infections are also culprits in liver disease. Still, if you drink, do it in moderation because alcohol can destroy and scar your liver. Lastly, never use illicit drugs because the high isn't worth sacrificing your liver.

What can I do for Liver Awareness Month?

Make sure to schedule wellness checkups with your doctor, as well as choosing to live with healthy habits.

Sarah Benedict
MCC Wellness Council
10/18/2021