How Liver Health Impacts Your Digestion – And When to Seek Treatment
Most people associate digestion with the stomach or intestines, but few realize the liver plays a crucial role in maintaining your digestive health. Located in the upper right side of the abdomen, the liver is the body’s largest internal organ—and its functions extend far beyond detoxification.
Dr. Amandeep Singh Sandhu, a leading gastrointestinal and liver surgeon in Mohali, emphasizes that poor liver function often leads to serious digestive problems. Conditions like fatty liver, hepatitis, liver abscess, and bile duct obstruction can manifest through vague symptoms like indigestion, bloating, or loss of appetite.
In this article, we explore how the liver supports digestion, what happens when it fails to perform efficiently, and when you should seek professional help from a liver specialist in Mohali like Dr. Amandeep Singh Sandhu.
🩺 The Liver’s Role in Digestion
Your liver performs over 500 functions—but in the context of digestion, its most important tasks are:
1. Bile Production
The liver produces bile, a yellowish-green fluid that breaks down fats into absorbable molecules. This bile is stored in the gallbladder and released into the small intestine after meals. Without enough bile, fat digestion slows down, leading to bloating, diarrhea, and greasy stools.
2. Detoxification
Everything you eat passes through the liver via the portal vein. The liver filters out toxins, drugs, and metabolic waste, ensuring that only clean nutrients reach the rest of your body. A damaged liver fails to remove these harmful substances, affecting overall digestion and metabolism.
3. Metabolizing Nutrients
The liver converts absorbed nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into usable energy. It also stores vitamins like A, D, E, K, and B12. Poor liver function can cause fatigue, poor nutrient absorption, and even vitamin deficiencies.
🧪 How Liver Disorders Affect Digestion
When the liver is inflamed, infected, or structurally damaged, digestive issues follow quickly. Some common liver conditions that interfere with digestion include:
⚠️ Fatty Liver Disease
Common in obese and diabetic individuals, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) can cause vague abdominal discomfort, nausea, and bloating. As fat builds up in the liver, bile production declines, leading to poor fat absorption and indigestion.
⚠️ Hepatitis (A, B, C)
Inflammation from viral hepatitis can slow down liver function. Patients often experience jaundice, nausea, dark urine, pale stools, and upper abdominal pain. Chronic hepatitis may progress to cirrhosis, a condition where the liver becomes scarred and shrunken.
⚠️ Liver Abscess
A liver abscess is a pus-filled cavity caused by bacterial or amoebic infection. It leads to fever, chills, and pain in the upper-right abdomen, especially after meals. If untreated, it can rupture into the abdomen or lungs, causing life-threatening sepsis.
⚠️ Biliary Obstruction
When bile flow is blocked due to gallstones, bile duct tumors, or strictures, it causes cholestasis. Patients may report itching, pale stools, yellowing of the eyes, and poor digestion of fatty foods. In such cases, surgical intervention is often required.
📉 Digestive Symptoms That May Indicate Liver Trouble
How do you know if your digestive issues are liver-related? Look for these red-flag symptoms:
- Frequent bloating and gas
- Greasy or clay-colored stools
- Loss of appetite or early satiety
- Chronic fatigue or brain fog after meals
- Right upper quadrant pain or heaviness
- Jaundice (yellowing of eyes/skin)
- Nausea, especially after fatty meals
If you experience two or more of these symptoms consistently, it’s time to consult a liver specialist in Mohali like Dr. Amandeep Singh Sandhu.
🧬 Diagnostic Tools Used by Dr. Sandhu
Dr. Amandeep Singh Sandhu uses advanced diagnostics at Sohana Hospital, Mohali to identify liver disorders early. These include:
- Liver Function Tests (LFTs)
- Ultrasound & CT scans
- FibroScan for liver stiffness
- MRI cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
- Endoscopic procedures (ERCP)
Early diagnosis ensures timely treatment, especially in cases of liver abscess, obstructive jaundice, or GI bleeding related to portal hypertension.
🔬 Treatment Options: From Medication to Minimally Invasive Surgery
Depending on the diagnosis, liver-related digestive problems may be treated through:
✅ Lifestyle and Dietary Modification
For fatty liver and early hepatitis, Dr. Sandhu may recommend weight loss, low-fat diet, sugar control, and alcohol cessation.
✅ Medical Management
Infections are treated with antibiotics or antiviral therapy, depending on the cause. Vitamin and bile salt supplements may be added.
✅ Laparoscopic Surgery
For conditions like liver abscess drainage, gallstones, or bile duct blockage, Dr. Sandhu performs laparoscopic surgery in Mohali, offering smaller incisions, faster recovery, and shorter hospital stays.
✅ Liver Cancer or GI Tumor Surgery
In advanced cases, Dr. Sandhu also performs hepatectomy (partial liver removal) or coordinates liver cancer treatment with oncology specialists.
Book your consultation for liver and digestive health at https://dramandeep.com and receive care from the best liver surgeon in Mohali.
👨⚕️ Why Choose Dr. Amandeep Singh Sandhu?
Dr. Amandeep Singh Sandhu is one of the most highly trained surgical gastroenterologists in Mohali, with a super-specialty degree (M.Ch.) in Surgical Gastroenterology and a gold medal from Sri Ramachandra Medical College. He trained under renowned names like Dr. Mohammed Rela and Prof. Sankar Subramanian, and is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh, UK).
His specialties include:
- Laparoscopic liver and gallbladder surgery
- Treatment of liver abscesses and bile duct strictures
- Surgery for GI cancers, pancreas, and small bowel
- Minimally invasive procedures for liver-related digestive disorders
Patients from across Punjab, Himachal, and Chandigarh trust him for his skill, ethics, and personalized care.
📍 Serving Patients in Mohali, Chandigarh, and North India
Dr. Sandhu consults at Sohana Hospital, Mohali, a state-of-the-art medical facility equipped with 24/7 emergency services, ICU, and diagnostic labs. Located close to Chandigarh, it is easily accessible to patients from Kharar, Zirakpur, Panchkula, and Patiala.
Take the first step toward better digestion and liver health.
👉 Visit https://dramandeep.com to book your appointment today.
📝 Final Thoughts: Don’t Ignore Your Gut Feeling
Your liver may be out of sight, but it should never be out of mind. From bile production to detoxification and nutrient processing, it supports every step of digestion. So when it fails, the symptoms may show up not in your liver—but in your gut, energy levels, and food tolerance.
Whether you’re dealing with persistent bloating, loss of appetite, or jaundice, it’s essential to seek timely medical attention. With modern diagnostics and minimally invasive liver surgery in Mohali, Dr. Amandeep Singh Sandhu helps patients regain health, comfort, and peace of mind.
Don’t wait for your symptoms to worsen—
Visit https://dramandeep.com and consult Mohali’s top liver and gastro surgeon today.
