Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is the Liver?Causes of Cirrhosis of the LiverSymptoms of Liver DiseaseComplications of Liver DiseaseHow Is Liver Disease Diagnosed?Is Liver Disease Permanent?What About Transplants?Monitoring For Liver Disease
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is the Liver?
Causes of Cirrhosis of the Liver
Symptoms of Liver Disease
Complications of Liver Disease
How Is Liver Disease Diagnosed?
Is Liver Disease Permanent?
What About Transplants?
Monitoring For Liver Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)affects the digestive tract, but it can also affect other parts of the body as well. People withCrohn’s diseaseandulcerative colitismay also be at risk for developing liver problems. Some of the liver problems that are associated with IBD areprimary sclerosing cholangitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and primary biliary cholangitis.
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The liver, which is the largest organ in the body, provides several important functions without which the body can not survive. The liver removes impurities and foreign bodies from the blood, makes the proteins that help blood clot, and produces bile. When disease interferes with the functioning of the liver, it can cause significant medical problems.
One of the biggest concerns about liver disease is that in its earliest stages, there may be no symptoms at all. Some people may have liver disease, and yet show no signs of it either in their symptoms or via liver tests. Whencirrhosisdoes start to cause symptoms, they can include:
In some cases, liver disease is first discovered when it starts to cause complications, such as:
Some of the tests used to diagnose liver disease include:
Liver damage isn’t reversible, but when liver disease is present, further damage can be prevented. Getting proper treatment, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding alcoholic beverages are all important to halting the progression of liver disease. Any complications from the liver disease must also be treated, to avoid further damage to other body systems from toxins building up in the brain and the blood. Medications might also be used to manage portal hypertensions and varices.
In some cases, the liver becomes too damaged and a liver transplant is needed. The transplant is from a donor, and with improved technology, it is increasingly successful.
People with IBD who have concerns about developing liver disease should ask their gastroenterologist about how often they should have liver testing. Some medications can also be associated with liver disease, and regular monitoring is recommended.
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.John Hopkins Medicine.Liver Anatomy and Function.Liver Foundation.Autoimmune Hepatitis.National Institute of Digestive Disease and Kidney Disease.Symptoms and Causes of Cirrhosis.Additional ReadingOlsson R, Glaumann H, Almer S, et al. “High prevalence of small duct primary sclerosing cholangitis among patients with overlapping autoimmune hepatitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis.“Eur J Intern Med. 2009 Mar;20:190-196.
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.John Hopkins Medicine.Liver Anatomy and Function.Liver Foundation.Autoimmune Hepatitis.National Institute of Digestive Disease and Kidney Disease.Symptoms and Causes of Cirrhosis.Additional ReadingOlsson R, Glaumann H, Almer S, et al. “High prevalence of small duct primary sclerosing cholangitis among patients with overlapping autoimmune hepatitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis.“Eur J Intern Med. 2009 Mar;20:190-196.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
John Hopkins Medicine.Liver Anatomy and Function.Liver Foundation.Autoimmune Hepatitis.National Institute of Digestive Disease and Kidney Disease.Symptoms and Causes of Cirrhosis.
John Hopkins Medicine.Liver Anatomy and Function.
Liver Foundation.Autoimmune Hepatitis.
National Institute of Digestive Disease and Kidney Disease.Symptoms and Causes of Cirrhosis.
Olsson R, Glaumann H, Almer S, et al. “High prevalence of small duct primary sclerosing cholangitis among patients with overlapping autoimmune hepatitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis.“Eur J Intern Med. 2009 Mar;20:190-196.
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