Facts About Liver Disease – HealthyWomen

What is liver disease?

Liver disease can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). Acute liver disease is rarer than chronic liver disease. In both cases, the liver is so overwhelmed that it cannot function, but the causes are usually different.

acute liver disease

Short-term liver disease is usually caused by a viral infection, such as hepatitis A, or in some cases, an overdose of acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol. (There’s a warning label on the bottle for a reason.) Depending on the extent of the damage, acute liver disease is often treatable, especially if caught early.

In rare cases, acute liver disease may lead to complete liver failure, which may require a liver transplant.

chronic liver disease

The next more common condition is chronic liver disease.

One of the main roles the liver performs is filtering toxins from the blood. This makes them particularly susceptible to disease over time. Even the strongest organ can decline over time if the liver is constantly exposed to high levels of toxins and is forced to work under a higher-than-normal load.

There are four stages of chronic liver disease, which progress according to severity.

1. hepatitis: This is an inflammatory stage in which the liver responds to injury or trauma. If no intervention occurs to stop the inflammation, it progresses to the next stage of fibrosis.
2. fibrosis: At this stage, the liver is damaged and healthy tissue is replaced by scar tissue. Damaged tissue prevents the liver from functioning normally. However, even at this stage, scar tissue can be reversed if caught early enough. However, if the liver is not given a chance to heal, the next step is permanent scarring.
3. cirrhosis: Once cirrhosis develops, liver scarring is usually permanent, but it may be reversible in the early stages if the underlying cause is treated. As liver function worsens, symptoms gradually appear in the body. However, when the liver is not working properly, the body is quite good at compensating, so it may take years before any noticeable symptoms appear. Even if there is permanent scarring, detecting liver disease fairly early can slow or stop further damage.
4. liver failure: The fourth and final stage of liver disease is liver failure. The disease may still worsen slowly and it may take some time for symptoms to appear, but eventually full signs of liver failure will become apparent. The only cure for liver failure is a liver transplant.

Symptoms of Liver Disease

If you have serious problems with your liver, you are more likely to experience extreme right upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and an overall feeling of unwell.

Chronic liver disease may have similar symptoms, but may also make the following symptoms worse:

• Jaundice (when the whites of your eyes and skin appear yellow)
• delirium
• Itchy skin without rash
• white poop
• very dark urine
• Bruises and bleeds easily
• If you have small, yellow lumps of fat on your skin or eyelids
• weight loss
• muscle loss
• Musty-smelling breath
• Difficulty digesting fat
• Swollen hands and feet
• loss of menstrual cycle
• swelling of the testicles

Chronic liver disease tends to get worse slowly over time, causing a lot of damage to the body until the disease becomes very advanced. Therefore, people may not notice symptoms of liver disease right away.

What causes liver disease?

Liver disease can be caused by excessive drinking, and this is probably the most commonly known cause. However, it can also occur without a direct lifestyle connection. For example, infection or genetic disorders can cause liver disease.

There are over 100 different types of liver disease, but the most common types are:

• autoimmune liver disease: Autoimmune hepatitis, like other autoimmune diseases, can occur randomly when the body mistakes healthy liver cells for foreign cells and attacks them. This type of liver disease is more common in women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). Autoimmune hepatitis may occur in middle-aged women (type 1) or girls ages 2 to 14 (type 2).
• Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC): PBC is another type of chronic liver disease that primarily affects women. It is also thought to be related to the immune system and is most common in middle-aged women.
• viral hepatitis: Viruses can cause acute or chronic liver disease. Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E are the most common causes of viral hepatitis, but other types can also attack the liver, including cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, yellow fever, and even herpes simplex virus (HSV).
• Fatty liver disease (SLD): SLD refers to a disease you may have heard of as fatty liver disease. The name was changed because patients often hear the word ‘fat’ and mistakenly believe it is their disease, believe it is not serious, or feel shame at the stigmatizing language. SLD now includes three types of liver disease that can have varying degrees of symptoms and severity, including those associated with alcohol use.
  • Fatty liver disease associated with metabolic disorders (MASLD)Formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), this disease is the most common type of liver disease and is caused by excess fat building up in the liver.
  • Metabolic-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH)Steatohepatitis, formerly known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), can include fat accumulation and liver damage.
  • Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD)Formerly called ARLD (alcohol-related liver disease), the condition is associated with drinking more alcohol than the liver can process. The amount of alcohol that puts a person at risk is not known, but it usually exceeds an average of four drinks per day for women and five drinks per day for men over an extended period of time.
  • Metabolism with alcohol-related liver disease (Met + ALD) This is a new category of liver disease that includes cardiometabolic risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, or high cholesterol, and sufficient alcohol consumption to be a contributing factor, but not enough to rise to the levels typically seen in classic ALD (2 to 5 drinks per day for women and 3 to 6 drinks per day for men). You may have signs and symptoms of MASLD and/or ALD.
• liver cancer: Almost any type of chronic liver disease, especially chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis infection or excessive drinking, can increase the risk of liver cancer. Liver cancer, like other types of cancer, can occur in people without other liver diseases.

How do health care providers detect liver disease?

The easiest way to detect early signs of liver disease is with a blood test. If you suspect you may be at risk for liver disease, have a family history of liver disease, or are experiencing symptoms, you should ask your health care provider (HCP) about testing.

Liver function tests may not be a traditional part of your annual workup, but the body’s hardest-working organ in the face of constant toxin assault deserves an evaluation from time to time, so ask your health care provider about your risks.

You can also work to reduce your overall risk of liver disease, or slow or stop its progression if you have it, by:

• reduce alcohol intake
• Maintaining a Healthy Diet
• exercise regularly
• Avoid saturated fat
• Reduce your sugar intake
• Include healthy fats in your diet, such as olive oil, nuts, and fish.
• Achieving a Healthy Weight