Liver health awareness tool

This means there are things we can do to help reduce our risk of liver disease. But it isn’t as easy to be healthy as it should be, so as well as raising awareness of the risks we also campaign for change.

However it is important to remember that there are many causes of liver disease, some of which are not preventable - such as genetic and autoimmune conditions. Babies can also be born with a liver condition.

The three ways to Love your Liver are:

1. Stick to government guidelines on alcohol consumption, and have 3 consecutive days without alcohol each week. This means not drinking more than 14 units per week.

A 175ml glass of wine is typically  2.5 units, and a pint of beer is usually between 2.5 and 4 units.

2. Maintain a healthy weight, eat healthily and take regular and varied exercise.

Keeping your weight in a healthy range helps to reduce the risk of liver disease and liver cancer. Having a healthy weight means it isn't too high or too low for you. Eating a well-balanced diet and being physically active both help manage your weight – whether that’s losing weight or keeping it in your healthy range.

3. Know your risk, and protect yourself from viral hepatitis.

Some types of viral hepatitis are rare in the UK and don't often cause a problem. Others can be very serious.

The three ways to Love your Liver are:

1. Stick to government guidelines on alcohol consumption, and have 3 consecutive days without alcohol each week. This means not drinking more than 14 units per week.

A 175ml glass of wine is typically  2.5 units, and a pint of beer is usually between 2.5 and 4 units.

2. Maintain a healthy weight, eat healthily and take regular and varied exercise.

Keeping your weight in a healthy range helps to reduce the risk of liver disease and liver cancer. Having a healthy weight means it isn't too high or too low for you. Eating a well-balanced diet and being physically active both help manage your weight – whether that’s losing weight or keeping it in your healthy range.

3. Know your risk, and protect yourself from viral hepatitis.

Some types of viral hepatitis are rare in the UK and don't often cause a problem. Others can be very serious.

Milk thistle is not proven to reduce the risk of liver disease

Some people think that milk thistle can help with liver conditions.

There has been some research into this. But the studies did not find enough evidence to say that milk thistle works.

Milk thistle can cause side effects such as tummy problems, itching and headaches. These usually go away quickly when you stop taking the milk thistle. But you might be more at risk of problems if you have a liver condition. Milk thistle can also be dangerous if taken with some other medicines.

The important thing is the total amount of alcohol, not whether you mix different drinks

The most important thing to remember is to drink within government guidelines and have regular breaks from drinking of at least 3 days

While it is a common belief that avoiding mixing types of alcohol can help avoid hangovers, there is no evidence that it helps to protect your liver. It’s the alcohol itself that does the damage.

Liver disease starts with liver damage.

In some types of liver disease, damage happens when fat builds up in the liver - this can be caused by drinking too much alcohol, or being overweight. Damage can also be caused by things including viruses and your own immune system.

If the damage is not stopped it may lead to inflammation (hepatitis), scarring (fibrosis), and advanced scarring (cirrhosis). In severe cases, this can lead to liver cancer.

There is not a clear symptom of early stage liver disease. So if you think you could be at risk don’t wait for symptoms. Have a chat with your GP and they can organise any tests you need.

The symptoms listed above can all be signs of late stage liver disease (cirrhosis). But even late stage disease doesn't always have symptoms.

By finding and treating liver disease early, we can stop it getting serious.

There is not a clear symptom of early stage liver disease. So if you think you could be at risk don’t wait for symptoms. Have a chat with your GP and they can organise any tests you need.

The symptoms listed above can all be signs of late stage liver disease (cirrhosis). But even late stage disease doesn't always have symptoms.

By finding and treating liver disease early, we can stop it getting serious.

It's important to speak to your doctor if you ever have any of the symptoms listed above, or persistent symptoms that are unusual for you.

If someone is worried about their liver health, or that they may be at risk of liver disease, they should speak to their GP. They can also:

• Call our free helpline, staffed by expert liver nurses
• Take our online screener to check their risk factors