How can I palpate an enlarged liver myself?
Palpating an enlarged liver requires some practice. It is best to first palpate the entire abdomen to get a feeling for what the abdominal wall feels like if there is no enlarged liver behind it. Then you start in the lower right abdomen and press your hand into the abdomen (not superficially, but not so deeply that it hurts), while inhaling you move your palpating hand slightly towards the ribcage.
This is repeated at a distance of about 5cm until you reach the costal arch. If the liver is enlarged, you can palpate it using this technique, it feels harder than the rest of the abdomen, behind which the intestine is hidden. If the liver could not be palpated, it is either not enlarged or the experience in palpating the liver is insufficient.
