Liver disease can be silent and deadly. Love Your Liver and make healthy choices to score points and avoid the risks to protect your liver.
The majority of people with liver disease are not aware they have it. Up until the late stages symptoms are mild and common to many conditions, so it’s hard to diagnose. The liver itself has no nerve endings so cannot feel pain.
The good news is that over 90% of cases of liver disease could be prevented by understanding the risks and making lifestyle changes.
The major risk areas where simple lifestyle changes can make a huge difference:
1) Alcohol - regularly drinking more than two pints of beer or two small glasses of wine each day puts your liver under incredible strain. Give your liver at least two to three days off each week from alcohol and avoid drinking to excess.
2) Diet and exercise - Watch your fat and sugar intake as too much can lead to fatty deposits in your liver which can cause inflammation and scarring. This is more likely if you are overweight. Enjoy fruit and vegetables and take regular exercise.
3) Viral hepatitis – Hepatitis B virus can invade your liver and cause damage. It is passed on through infected blood and body fluids, by sharing items such as needles, or from mother to baby during birth. Don’t share anything that could have blood on it and use condoms when you have sex. Get vaccinated, especially before travelling abroad.
4) Hepatitis C is passed on through infected blood. There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C so it is important not to share any items which could be infected such as needles, razors or even toothbrushes. Just once is enough to be infected.
There are many ways in which you can protect yourself from the risks of liver disease. Check out Love Your Liver and use the experience to understand how to make healthy choices to avoid the risks of alcohol, fatty liver, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Know the risks and keep your liver healthy.
Find out more at www.britishlivertrust.org.uk
Take our online health screener to assess your risks at: www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/screener