What Is Liver Disease?

Medically reviewed by Jay N. Yepuri, MD

Liver disease is a condition that can affect the normal functioning of the liver. The liver is the largest organ of the body that helps with the digestion of food and the removal of toxins from your blood.

There are several types of liver disease, including fatty liver disease, liver cancer, and hepatitis. While each type slightly varies, the common symptoms of liver disease include the yellowing of the skin and eyes (known as jaundice), bruising, and swelling, among others.

More than 100 million people in the United States have some form of liver disease. Fortunately, there are several forms of treatment your healthcare provider may recommend if you receive a diagnosis for liver disease. If your condition is left untreated, it can lead to liver failure—a form of disease that occurs when the liver is damaged beyond repair. That’s why knowing the symptoms and understanding when to reach out for medical support are essential.

Types of Liver Disease

There are several types of liver disease, each with its own set of risk factors and symptoms.

Fatty Liver Disease

One of the most common liver diseases is fatty liver disease. There are two types of fatty liver diseases, including:

• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): This type of fatty liver disease develops when there is excess fat build-up in the liver. Build-up can occur due to insulin resistance, eating foods high in fat, and having high blood sugar.

• Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): NASH is a progressive (or, worsening) form of NAFLD where people experience liver damage and inflammation of the liver, in addition to a build-up of fat in the liver.

Alcoholic Liver Disease

Alcoholic liver disease occurs when drinking too much alcohol (e.g., two or more drinks per day) causes destruction of your liver tissue. There are three stages of alcoholic liver disease, which include:

• Alcoholic fatty disease (steatosis): Earliest stage of the disease, which occurs when fat starts to build up in the liver.

• Alcoholic hepatitis: Inflammation or swelling of the liver that happens alongside the destruction of healthy liver tissue and cells.

• Alcoholic cirrhosis: Most serious form of alcoholic liver disease, where normal liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue. In many cases, cirrhosis is irreversible and life-threatening.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the liver. This condition develops due to infection by different types of hepatitis. If left untreated, hepatitis can also cause liver damage, making it difficult for your liver to function normally.

Several viruses can cause hepatitis, such as:

• Hepatitis A: A highly contagious virus that spreads through contact with contaminated food or water and causes short-term liver infection.

• Hepatitis B: Infection that spreads through bodily fluids (e.g., semen or blood) and usually causes short-term illness. In some cases, hepatitis B can progress to long-term disease.

• Hepatitis C: Spreads through contact with blood from someone else who has hepatitis C. More than half of hepatitis C infections can become chronic (long-term) illnesses.

• Hepatitis D: Only occurs if you also have hepatitis B and come into contact with another infected person’s bodily fluids

• Hepatitis E: Often occurs after drinking contaminated water or eating uncooked or raw food. This infection is most common in countries where there is a shortage of clean water supply.

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer—also known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)—occurs when tumor cells develop in the liver. In some cases, the tumors can be benign (non-cancerous), but they can interfere with your liver’s ability to function normally.

There are two types of liver cancer: primary and secondary. Primary liver cancer occurs when cancer cells develop in the liver first. Secondary liver cancer can happen when another part of the body has cancer and the cancer metastasizes (spreads) to the liver.

Autoimmune Liver Conditions

Autoimmune disorders are conditions that occur when your immune system attacks healthy cells in the body by mistake. There are a few autoimmune conditions that can affect the liver, including:

• Autoimmune hepatitis: The immune system attacks the liver and causes inflammation. If left untreated, autoimmune hepatitis can cause cirrhosis or liver failure.

• Primary biliary cholangitis: This condition causes inflammation and scarring in your bile ducts (small canals that transport bile through your digestive system).

• Primary sclerosing cholangitis: When your bile ducts are attacked and become damaged, this condition can cause scarring and inflammation. The condition can worsen and lead to cirrhosis (extreme liver damage).

Genetic Conditions

Several genetic conditions (or, conditions that you can inherit from family members) can also affect the liver. These conditions include:

• Wilson disease: Occurs as a result of a build-up of copper in the liver and can cause acute liver failure.

• Hemochromatosis: A rare condition that causes your body to absorb too much iron from your food, leading to excess iron levels which can cause liver damage.

• Gilbert syndrome: This condition can happen when your liver is unable to process a substance called bilirubin, which is found in your bile ducts. Too much bilirubin in your body can cause your skin and the whites of your eye to turn yellow.

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is a condition that causes extreme scarring and damage to the liver. The scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue, which can block blood flow and affect the normal functioning of the liver. Several types of other liver diseases, excess alcohol consumption, and taking certain medications can cause cirrhosis to occur.

Symptoms

Each type of liver disease can cause slightly different symptoms. However, the most common symptoms of liver disease include:

• Jaundice, or the yellowing of the skin and eyes

• Swelling of the abdomen (stomach) and legs

• Changes in the color of your urine (pee) and stool (poop)

• Easy bruising

It’s important to note that sometimes, certain liver diseases don’t cause any symptoms at all in the early stages. You may not know that you have liver disease until your condition worsens. When you do notice symptoms, however, it’s critical to see your healthcare provider as soon as you can.

Causes and Risk Factors

You can develop liver disease for a variety of different reasons. Some of the most common causes include:

• Having a family history of liver disease

• Becoming infected with hepatitis infection

• Being exposed to contaminated blood, semen, or other bodily fluids

• Not using protection (e.g., condoms) when having sex

• Developing an autoimmune disorder

• Drinking excess amounts of alcohol

• Eating a diet high in fat

Diagnosis

If you suspect that you have symptoms of liver disease or have a family history of a liver condition, it’s good practice to contact your healthcare provider. During the diagnostic process, your healthcare provider will first start by asking about your medical history and performing a physical exam to learn more about your symptoms.

They may also order additional tests to provide you with an accurate diagnosis for liver disease. These tests may include:

• Liver function tests that take a sample of your blood to assess the health of your liver and detect any liver damage

• Imaging tests such as an ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scans to look for signs of scarring, fat accumulation, and inflammation

• Liver biopsy, which takes a small sample of your liver tissue with a needle to look for signs of liver damage

Treatment

If you receive a diagnosis for liver disease, your treatment plan will depend on the exact condition you have, the symptoms you’re experiencing, and the severity of your illness. Generally, healthcare providers can recommend a combination of lifestyle changes and medications.

Your provider may suggest making the following modifications to your lifestyle habits to prevent your condition from worsening:

• Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink

• Eating a nutritious diet that is low in fat

• Participating in physical activity or exercise regularly

Healthcare providers may also recommend taking certain medications. These medicines may include:

• Antiviral medications for hepatitis

• Medications that suppress the immune system for autoimmune liver conditions

• Therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation for liver cancer

If your condition has progressed to liver damage or cirrhosis, your healthcare provider may consider putting you on a list to receive a liver transplant. Extreme liver damage is irreversible and can lead to liver failure. That said, getting a liver transplant is one way to improve your liver functioning and quality of life.

How To Prevent Liver Disease

Lifestyle choices play a key role in maintaining a healthy liver and preventing some liver diseases. A few approaches that can prevent liver diseases include:

• Reducing how much alcohol you drink

• Getting vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B

• Avoiding sharing needles and personal items such as razors and combs

• Exercising or moving your body regularly

• Quitting smoking

• Eating a diet that is low in fat

• Practicing safe sex

• Visiting your healthcare provider for regular checkups and informing them about any unusual symptoms that you may be experiencing

Complications

Liver diseases can lead to several complications if they are left untreated. These complications include:

• Variceal bleeding which obstructs blood flow to the liver

• Ascites, which is a condition that causes a build-up of fluid in the abdomen, leading to weight gain and discomfort

• Hepatorenal syndrome, which is a condition that can progress from the liver and affect the function of your kidneys, reduce how much urine you produce, and lead to a build-up of toxic waste products in the blood

• Hepatic encephalopathy, a serious condition that makes it difficult for your liver to remove toxins from the blood, which can cause these toxins to travel to your brain and affect your brain functioning

Living with Liver Disease

Getting a diagnosis for liver disease can feel scary. Fortunately, liver diseases are treatable if you learn about your condition early. However, if left untreated, your condition can worsen and cause a variety of complications that lead to extreme liver damage. If the damage is irreversible, you may need to undergo a liver transplant.

Since some liver diseases don’t have any symptoms in the early stages, it’s important to meet with your healthcare provider during your annual exam to screen for certain liver conditions. Additionally, adopting lifestyle habits such as eating a diet low in fat, refraining from drinking too much alcohol, and moving your body regularly can lower your risk of developing a liver-related condition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is liver disease a terminal disease?

Liver disease is not always a terminal disease. However, if left untreated or undiagnosed it can cause complications and permanent damage to the liver.

Can you fully recover after having liver disease?

It is possible to recover fully from liver disease with treatment, provided that you begin treatment in the early stages of your condition. Treatment during the later stages can still help. However, any damage that your liver has is often irreversible, making it difficult to fully heal.

Will my liver heal if I quit drinking?

Yes, the liver can heal if you completely quit drinking. The liver has remarkable regenerative properties, meaning it can heal itself even after years of alcohol use.

For more Health news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Health.