Healthy lifestyle changes for a healthy liver
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report 2014, 2,16,865 or 2.44% of the total deaths in India were associated with liver diseases. Health experts and media sources say that India could become the world capital of liver diseases by 2025, owing to the rising sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking and alcohol intake.
The common diseases affecting the liver include fatty liver, alcoholic and non-alcoholic cirrhosis. Recently, non-alcoholic liver diseases have been on the rise and are considered a silent killer. If left untreated, the inflammation and damage can result in liver cancer.
Approximately 90% patients don’t realise that they have liver disease until it is too late, say medical practitioners. Out of the two lakh plus patients dying from liver disease, at least 25,000 can be saved through liver transplants. However, only 2000 liver transplants are performed annually in India, as per 2014 reports from Fortis Hospital.
The positive side is that with certain precautions, liver disease is one of the few diseases that can be prevented or its possibility of occurrence reduced. With the startling numbers and the potential of one in every five Indians being susceptible to the disease, it is best to adopt the following five lifestyle changes:
Exercise
An obese body is home to various diseases, in addition to liver ailments. Obesity is also the most common cause of fatty liver disease. Introduce exercise in your daily routine, and incorporate healthy eating and sleeping habits into your lifestyle to evade fatty liver.
Abstain from Alcohol Consumption
Excessive consumption of alcohol leads to liver cirrhosis, which can be fatal. Say no to a bottle of alcohol today rather than be at the mercy of saline and blood bottles in future.