Liver Disease (cont.)
Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
In this Article
- Liver Disease Facts
- What is liver disease?
- What are the causes of liver disease?
- What are the risk factors for liver disease?
- What are the symptoms of liver disease?
- When to seek medical care for liver disease
- How is liver disease diagnosed?
- What is the treatment for liver disease?
- What are the complications of liver disease?
- Can liver disease be prevented?
- What is the outlook (prognosis) for a person with liver disease?
- Liver Disease FAQs
- Find a local Gastroenterologist in your town
Can liver disease be prevented?
- Alcohol abuse is the most common cause of liver disease in North America. Consuming alcohol in moderation may help minimize the risk of alcohol-related liver disease.
- The risk of contracting Hepatitis B and C can be decreased by minimizing the risk of exposure to other person's bodily fluids.
- Vaccination is available for Hepatitis A and B.
- Fatty liver disease is a preventable illness with the promotion of a healthy lifestyle including a well balanced diet, weight control, avoiding excess alcohol consumption and routine exercise program. These lifestyle modifications do not guarantee success in disease prevention as some people will develop fatty liver disease anyway.
What is the outlook for a patient with liver disease?
The outlook and outcome for a patient depends upon the underlying diagnosis.
Interestingly, in patients with cirrhosis, there may be little correlation between the amount of damage found on liver biopsy and the ultimate outcome. A patient may never develop symptoms and have a normal life-span or may develop significant symptoms with seemingly minimal disease.
REFERENCES:
Fauci, Anthony S., et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2008.
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "Liver."
<http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/topics/liver.asp>
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