Liver disease: symptoms, causes & treatment

Your liver plays a critical role in your overall health. Think of it as your body’s filter. Your liver performs many functions to make sure you’re healthy, including filtering toxins from the blood, producing bile to aid in digestion, storing glucose for later use and metabolizing some nutrients from food.

Liver disease is a common health problem, affecting millions of people all over the world. It can be caused by several factors, including alcohol consumption, viral infections, genetics and certain medications.

Aurora Health Care's team of liver specialists is here for you and uses the latest testing and tools to provide exceptional liver disease treatment and care.

What is liver disease?

Liver disease is any disease that affects your liver. Some liver diseases are caused by viruses like hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Others are inherited or are caused by drugs, chemicals or excessive alcohol consumption. Liver cancer can develop after other liver diseases or it may develop with no clear cause.

Liver disease may be described as acute or chronic. Acute liver disease develops suddenly and chronic liver disease develops slowly over time.

Diseases of the liver

Hepatitis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are the most common liver diseases. Some common types of liver disease include:

• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: This happens due to excess fat build up with no visible damage to the liver. It is often caused by Type II diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol.
• Alcoholic liver disease (ALD): Alcoholic liver disease is caused by excessive alcohol consumption. ALD can lead to inflammation, fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver.
• Hepatitis (A, B, C): Liver inflammations caused by viruses. Hepatitis A and hepatitis B (HBV) are acute infections that usually go away on their own. Hepatitis C is a chronic infection that can lead to serious liver problems such as cirrhosis and cancer.
• Cirrhosis of the liver: Cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver becomes severely scarred and damaged.
• Liver cancer: Liver cancer is rare but can be a complication of liver disease, including cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Common causes of liver disease

Several factors may lead to various types of liver disease, including excess consumption of fatty or fried foods and excessive alcohol use. Having unprotected sex or sharing needles can lead to hepatitis.

Alcohol consumption is a leading cause of liver disease. When alcohol is metabolized by the liver, it produces a toxic substance that can damage liver cells. Other common causes of liver disease include genetics, inherited conditions, medications and toxins.

Signs and symptoms of liver disease

You may never experience liver disease symptoms, but they can happen depending on how severe or advanced your liver disease is. Some common liver disease symptoms include:

• Fatigue and weakness
• Abdominal pain
• Yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Swelling in legs and abdomen
• Pale stool color
• Dark urine
• Nausea or vomiting

If you experience any of these potential liver disease symptoms, schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor about them.

Diagnosing and treating liver disease

If your doctor suspects you have liver disease, they’ll perform a physical exam and review your medical history. Your doctor may order several blood tests to check liver function and for cancer. Your doctor may also order a CT scan, MRI or ultrasound to take pictures of your liver for a liver disease diagnosis.

Treating liver disease

Treatment for liver disease depends on how severe your disease is. Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, such as stopping drinking alcohol, avoiding taking over-the-counter pain killers such as acetaminophen, losing weight and reducing the number of fatty foods you eat.

Medications may be prescribed in some instances to improve liver function and manage symptoms. If you have advanced liver disease treatment may require a liver transplant.

Liver disease prevention tips

There are several ways you can prevent liver diseases and improve liver health, and most involve making lifestyle changes. These liver disease prevention methods include:

• Limit alcohol use: Alcohol is one of the leading causes of liver disease. Limiting your alcohol consumption can help to protect your liver.
• Maintain a healthy weight: Obesity increases your risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Eat a healthy diet: A healthy diet that is low in saturated and unhealthy fats and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help to protect your liver.
• Get regular exercise: Regular exercise can help to improve liver function and reduce your risk of liver disease.
• Avoid exposure to toxins: Certain toxins, such as those found in common household cleaners and industrial chemicals, can damage the liver. Wear gloves and other protective gear when using these chemicals.
• Limit use of over-the-counter pain killers: Over-the-counter pain killers, especially acetaminophen. In high doses, acetaminophen can hurt your liver or cause liver failure in extreme cases.