Where is the liver in the human body?

Where is the liver located? The liver is one of the key organs in our body. I often hear people say “my liver hurts so badly”, but do you really know where the liver is? Is the pain in that part of the body caused by liver pain? Take a look at the answer below.

1. Where is the liver located?

The position and shape of the liver in the human body: The liver is located in the right upper abdomen, hidden under the right diaphragm and deep in the ribs. Most of the liver is covered by the costal arch, and it is only exposed in the upper abdominal area and between the right costal arches and directly contacts the anterior abdominal wall. The upper side of the liver is connected to the diaphragm and the anterior abdominal wall. From the perspective of epidermal projection, the upper border of the liver is at the 5th rib on the right midclavicular line and at the 6th rib on the right midaxillary line; the lower border of the liver is consistent with the outer edge of the liver, starting from the bottom point of the costal arch, rising to the left along the outer edge of the right costal arch, leaving the costal arch at the junction of the 8th and 9th costal cartilages, slanting to the upper left corner, to the anterior center line, and to the left to the junction of the costal arch and the 7th and 8th cartilages.

It is generally believed that when the upper edge of the liver of an adult is normal, if the liver is touched under the ribs, physiological hepatomegaly is common. It is normal for children's liver to be exposed below the right ribs at a lower edge. The position of the liver often changes with breathing. Generally, it rises and falls by 2-3cm when you breathe in quietly, slightly lowers when you stand up and breathe, and slightly rises when you lie down and breathe. This is the reason why doctors often ask patients to cooperate with breathing when palpating their livers.

The normal liver is light brown and soft in color. The liver weight of an adult is equal to 2% of body weight. According to surveys, the weight of adult livers in my country is 1157-1447g for men and 1029-1379g for women, with a maximum of around 2000g. The length, width, and thickness of the liver are approximately 25.8cm, 15.2cm, and 5.8cm respectively.

2. Which part of the human body is considered liver pain?

The liver is mainly located in the right hypochondrium and epigastric area. Most of the liver is covered by the rib arch. It is only exposed in the epigastric area and between the right rib arch and directly contacts the anterior abdominal wall. The upper side of the liver is connected to the diaphragm and anterior abdominal wall. The site of dull pain in the liver area is located in the right hypochondrium, which is the epidermal mapping area of ​​the liver. The dull pain in the liver area is caused by the fact that many visceral nerve effectors are distributed in the liver and gallbladder tissues. When the liver is inflamed or stimulated by various external factors, it produces inflammation, which is transmitted to the brain, resulting in a dull pain in the liver area.

3. What are the causes of liver pain?

If you experience dull pain or discomfort in the liver area, you should not think that it is a worsening of the disease and become overly anxious or worried. The liver governs emotions, so you should eliminate psychological barriers and maintain a good attitude. There are many reasons for dull pain in the liver area. Because there are many visceral nerve effectors in the liver and gallbladder tissues, once the liver becomes inflamed or receives pressure, temperature or acid stimulation, it can produce impulses, which are transmitted to the brain, causing pain, pressure pain, or even severe pain or a needle-like or burning sensation.

Dull pain in the liver area is a relatively common clinical manifestation, which may sometimes occur in physically and mentally healthy people. When there is dull pain in the liver area, you should actively find the cause of the disease, and make a basic judgment on the location, regularity, secondary symptoms, etc. of the pain or discomfort. If it is caused by fatigue or staying up late, and it cannot be relieved or worsens after rest, it is recommended to go to the hospital for liver function tests, B-ultrasound, etc., and pay attention to liver protection treatment.

4. If dull pain occurs in the liver area, it can be alleviated by the following:

1. Observe the symptoms of dull pain in the liver area, pay attention to the duration and the patient's tolerance, and observe the accompanying symptoms of dull pain in the liver area of ​​hepatitis B carriers, including nausea, vomiting, etc.

2. Use analgesics according to the third-level analgesia method.

3. When you feel pain, take a deep breath as much as possible, mainly using abdominal breathing to relieve abdominal pressure irritation.

4. Take a comfortable posture. Lying on the affected side or in a semi-recumbent position can relieve abdominal anxiety and pain.

5. Massage the area gently without using too much force, otherwise it may cause the lump to crack or spread outward.

6. Adjustments in diet and psychological disorders? The diet should be light in taste, high in protein, low in calories, non-irritating and easy to digest. It is not suitable to be too full, and eat small meals frequently. Maintain smooth bowel movements and relieve abdominal bloating to prevent pain.