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Overview
There are many different types of liver disease. You can help prevent some of them by maintaining a healthy weight and staying within the recommended alcohol limits, if you drink.
Symptoms
Most types of liver disease do not cause any symptoms in the early stages.
Once you start to get symptoms of liver disease, your liver is already damaged and scarred. This is known as cirrhosis.
Symptoms of cirrhosis include:
- feeling very tired and weak all the time
- loss of appetite – which may lead to weight loss
- loss of sex drive (libido)
- yellow skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
- itchy skin
- feeling or being sick
Causes
The 3 main causes of liver disease are:
- obesity
- an undiagnosed hepatitis infection
- alcohol misuse
Treatment Options
Treatment for liver disease depends on the type you have and how severe it is.
Healthy lifestyle changes can help with some types of liver disease. For example, alcohol-related liver disease may improve if you stop drinking alcohol.
Some types of liver disease (such as certain types of hepatitis) may need to be treated with medicine.
If you have severe liver damage and scarring (cirrhosis), you may need a liver transplant.
Prevention Tips
You can reduce your risk of many types of liver disease with some simple lifestyle changes such as:
- trying to maintain a healthy weight
- not drinking too much alcohol
Vaccines are available for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. These are recommended if you're at risk.
When To See A Doctor
See a GP if you think you might have liver disease or cirrhosis.
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