Tips to Prevent and Manage Liver Disease.

While large and powerful, the liver is also vulnerable to illness. Tissue damage or infection can cause inflammation that leads to scarring. Over time, chronic scarring can turn into an advanced form of liver damage called cirrhosis of the liver; cell changes from chronic inflammation can cause liver cancer. 

Left untreated, liver disease can cause serious health problems and can even be fatal. 

Liver specialists at MedStar Health have decades of experience in diagnosing and treating liver disease—and helping patients prevent it. The first step is to understand your personal risk factors for liver disease so you can stop the disease before it starts. 

Who is at risk for liver disease?

Many people are at risk of liver disease due to existing illnesses or lifestyles and environmental factors. Some of the top risk factors include:

• For a healthy person without existing liver disease, chronically drinking too much alcohol (more than 14 drinks or less a week for men and seven drinks or less a week for women). The limit is lower for someone who already has liver disease. Additionally, binge drinking (five drinks in men, four in women over two hours) is quite harmful to the liver as well.

• Obesity, diabetes, or high blood pressure, which can cause excess fat to build up in the liver (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD)

• Overuse of over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol). Certain herbal supplements, such as turmeric, ashwagandha, and black cohosh

• Family history of liver disease

• Infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C

• Sedentary lifestyle

  
  

Rates of liver disease have tripled since the 1980s as obesity and metabolic diseases have become more common. About 4.5 million people in the U.S. have some type of liver disease, but don't know they are sick. 

Symptoms often aren’t disruptive until the disease progresses. When symptoms arise, they can be somewhat vague and may include yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, itchy skin, swelling of the abdomen and legs, dark urine, pale stool, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, easy bruising, and fatigue. 

Spotting the signs of liver disease and getting an accurate diagnosis will improve the chances of good outcomes. 

How is liver disease diagnosed and treated?

MedStar Health uses the latest tools and technologies to diagnose liver disease. Some of these include:

• Blood tests to check the level of liver enzymes. High levels can be a sign of liver damage.

• Advanced imaging such as CT, MRI, or ultrasound (FibroScan) to show a clear picture of the size, fibrosis and fat content in the liver.

• Biopsy, which involves taking a small tissue sample and testing it in the lab to determine the diagnosis and the extent of the damage.

There are many effective treatments for liver disease, and the care plan will be based on the condition. Medication can cure hepatitis C, and prescription drugs can control hepatitis B, diabetes, and treat MASH. 

For mild (compensated) liver disease, when the liver is still functioning, making healthy lifestyle changes is one of the best treatments. Eating a more nutritious diet, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular exercise can help the liver heal and slow the progression of liver damage. 

People living with severe (decompensated) or uncontrolled liver disease may need a liver transplant. This is a complex surgery in which a healthy liver is removed from a deceased donor, or a portion of the liver is removed from a living donor and placed into a patient whose diseased liver was removed. 

The Medstar Georgetown Transplant Institute team brings decades of experience to each patient’s care. Our liver specialists (hepatologists), transplant surgeons, nurse coordinators, dietitians, social workers, and financial coordinators surround each patient with support to achieve their best outcomes.

As one of the region's largest transplant centers, we perform more than 135 liver transplants annually and the most living donor transplants in the area. Because of our volume and expertise, patients on our waiting list can receive a liver transplant faster than at other transplant centers.

Tips to prevent liver disease.

Preventing liver disease starts with basic healthy living strategies, including:

• Maintain a healthy weight to avoid fatty liver disease

• Limit alcohol intake or avoid it altogether

• Get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B

• Get treated for viral hepatitis infection

• Avoid illegal drugs, particularly with the use of needles

• Practice safe sex to prevent the spread of viruses

If you are diagnosed with liver disease, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. But you’re not alone. Our team of liver specialists will be by your side from diagnosis through treatment, recovery, and beyond.
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In need of liver care?

Talk with our specialist team.

Call 202-444-3700 or Request an Appointment