Liver disease

Diagnosis

Ultrasound of liver tumorOpen pop-up dialog box

Liver biopsyOpen pop-up dialog box

Finding the cause and extent of liver damage is important in guiding treatment. Your doctor is likely to start with a health history and thorough physical examination.

Your doctor may then recommend:

• Blood tests. A group of blood tests called liver function tests can be used to diagnose liver disease. Other blood tests can be done to look for specific liver problems or genetic conditions.

• Imaging tests. An ultrasound, CT scan and MRI can show liver damage.

• Checking a tissue sample. Removing a tissue sample (biopsy) from your liver may help diagnose liver disease and look for signs of liver damage. A liver biopsy is most often done using a long needle inserted through the skin to extract a tissue sample that's sent to a lab for testing.

Treatment

• Treatment for liver disease depends on your diagnosis. Some liver problems can be treated with lifestyle modifications, such as stopping alcohol use or losing weight, typically as part of a medical program that includes careful monitoring of liver function. Other liver problems may be treated with medications or may require surgery.

• Treatment for liver disease that causes or has led to liver failure may ultimately require a liver transplant.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Changing certain lifestyle habits can often help improve your liver health. If you've been diagnosed with liver disease, your doctor may recommend that you:

• Drink alcohol sparingly, if at all.

• Avoid red meat, trans fats, processed carbohydrates and foods with high-fructose corn syrup.

• Exercise 30 to 60 minutes around three to four times a week at a moderate intensity.

• Cut calories by 500 to 1,000 calories daily, if you're overweight.

• Alternative medicine

  No alternative medicine therapies have been proved to treat liver disease. Some studies have indicated possible benefits, but further research is needed.

  On the other hand, some dietary and herbal supplements can harm your liver. More than a thousand medications and herbal products have been associated with liver damage, including:

  • Vitamin A

  • Ma-huang

  • Germander

  • Valerian

  • Mistletoe

  • Skullcap

  • Chaparral

  • Comfrey