Chronic Liver Disease - Dubai Hepatology Clinic

Overview:

The liver is a football-sized organ. It lies under the right rib cage. Its main function is digesting food and eliminating the body of toxic substances.

Liver diseases can be inherited or caused by a variety of factors that damage the liver, such as viruses, alcohol use, and obesity. 

With time, chronic damage to the liver can lead to scarring (fibrosis) and then cirrhosis and its complications. Early treatment may allow the liver to heal.

Symptoms

• Usually, chronic liver diseases are symptoms free and when they occur, they are variable and may include:
• Yellowish Skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Abdominal pain and distention/swelling (ascites)
• Swelling in the legs and ankles
• Skin itching
• Dark urine colour and Pale stool colour
• fatigue
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Anorexia
• Easy bruising

Causes

• Infections
• Parasites and bacteria
• Viruses: Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E
• Immunological diseases: (Autoimmune hepatitis, Primary biliary cholangitis, Primary sclerosing cholangitis, and overlap syndrome)
• Genetic liver disorder/diseases: (Hemochromatosis, Wilson's disease, Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and cystic fibrosis)
• Cancer or other over-growths: Liver cancer, Bile duct cancer, Liver adenoma
• Others: Chronic alcohol and other substance abuse, Fat accumulation in the liver (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease), Certain prescription or over-the-counter medications, Certain herbal compounds

Risk factors

• Heavy alcohol use
• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• Tattoos or body piercings
• Injecting drugs using shared needles
• Blood transfusion before 1992
• Contact with other people's blood and bodily fluids
• Unprotected sex
• Exposure to certain chemicals or toxins
• Family history of liver disease

Complications

Untreated liver disease may progress to liver failure, cirrhosis, and malignancy.

Prevention

• The first step in preventing liver disease is to diagnose it:
• Moderate alcohol consumption.
• Cautious sexual contact (condom during sex).
• Clean shops and new needles for tattooing.
• Avoid/stop illicit intravenous drugs, and don't share needles to inject drugs.
• Get vaccinated
• Use medications wisely, when needed, and as recommended by the doctor.
• Don't mix medications, herbal supplements, and alcohol.
• Avoid contact with other people's blood and body fluids. (accidental needle sticks or improper cleanup of blood or body fluids are common causes of viral hepatitis transmission).
• Keep hygienic behavior with food and personal habits.
• Maintain a healthy weight. (Obesity may cause nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, inflammation, and cirrhosis).

Diagnosis

• Blood tests.
• Imaging tests (An ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI can show liver damage)
• Checking a tissue sample. (Liver biopsy is rarely used with the advances in imaging)

Treatment

Treatment depends on the diagnosis. (lifestyle modifications, such as stopping alcohol use or losing weight, other diseases may require medications or surgery)

In a few specific cases, treatment may require a liver transplant.

Dubai Gastroenterology Clinic - Dr. Rami Hamed Center now provides the leading gastroenterologist in Dubai for Gastric balloons, Colonoscopy, Colon Cancer Screening, and so on. DRHC offers highly qualified liver specialist doctors in Dubai with a wide range of services on liver failure, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease treatment, liver disease treatment, etc.