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Liver Diseases

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You’re tired, and belly discomfort is a constant in your life. Your arms and legs keep swelling. And now your eyes look yellow. What’s going on?

These symptoms could be signs your liver isn’t working like it should. Hearing you may have one of 100 different liver diseases can be unnerving. But many liver diseases are treatable. Especially when you catch and treat them early.

Cleveland Clinic has the advanced liver disease treatments you need. And we always combine expert medical care with compassionate support and guidance. We’re here to help you manage your symptoms, slow the disease’s progression and keep you moving forward with life.

Why Choose Cleveland Clinic for Liver Disease Care?

Personalized care:

There are many liver diseases. Our specialists find out what’s affecting your liver and build a personalized treatment plan to help you feel your best. We also take time to listen and answer your questions. Meet our team.

Collaborative care:

Your care team will include healthcare providers from different specialties who are experts in the newest and most comprehensive treatments for all stages of liver disease. They work together to make sure you stay at the center of your care.

Innovation and research:

Cleveland Clinic is a global leader in researching better ways to treat all types of liver disease, including noninvasive tests to see how badly your liver is damaged.

Virtual visits:

Not all appointments need to be in person. Virtual visits let you meet one-on-one with your providers from the comfort of home, using a smartphone, tablet or computer.

National recognition:

Cleveland Clinic is a trusted healthcare leader. We're recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for our expertise and care.

Diagnosing Liver Diseases at Cleveland Clinic

Many common liver diseases cause liver inflammation, which can lead to cirrhosis of the liver (scarring). Eventually, cirrhosis can cause liver cancer or liver failure. Some of these include:

Autoimmune liver disease

Your immune system thinks your liver is an invader and attacks it. Some autoimmune liver diseases include:

Fatty liver disease

A buildup of excess fat in your liver can lead to fatty liver disease. It’s often caused by drinking too much alcohol (alcohol-related fatty liver disease) or having too much fat in your diet.

Genetic (inherited) liver diseases

Some liver conditions are hereditary (passed from parents to children). They include:

Viral infections

Many viruses can cause inflammation in your liver. Some of these viruses are:

Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis D
Hepatitis E
Epstein Barr virus (EBV)
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

What to expect at your first visit

At your first appointment, we won’t jump right into testing. We’ll take time to get to know you. We’ll listen to your concerns and answer your questions. Then we’ll ask some important questions ourselves, like:

What kind of symptoms do you have?
How long have you had them?
Are they getting worse?
How do they affect your life?
Do you have any other health conditions?
Do your family members have any health conditions?
Are you taking any medications?

Your provider will also do a physical exam and check the area where your liver is to see if you have pain, swelling or a lump.

Then they’ll likely order some tests to see what’s causing the inflammation and pain in your liver. You might have:

Meet Our Liver Disease Team

Depending on the type of liver disease you have, your care team could include healthcare providers from several different specialties. You might see:

Hepatologists (specialists in liver disease)
Gastroenterologists
Oncologists
Interventional radiologists
Liver transplant surgeons
Dietitians

Providers Who Treat Liver Diseases

Locations

Our healthcare providers see patients at convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio, Florida and London.

Treating Liver Disease at Cleveland Clinic

If your test results confirm you have liver disease, we’ll create a personalized treatment plan based on the type of liver disease you have. Your plan may include:

Lifestyle changes

Making lifestyle changes can slow or even reverse many types of liver disease. We may recommend you:

Maintain a weight that’s healthy for you
Avoid alcohol
Eat a Mediterranean diet
Reduce how much sodium (salt) you use
Manage your blood sugar
Exercise regularly

As you set out to make these changes and move toward your health goals, we’ll give you the support and guidance you need.

Medications

We use medications to treat many different liver diseases. Your provider will go over which medicine is right for you and check in often to see if you’re having any side effects. If you’re already taking medications, we’ll talk about those, too, to see if they could be causing liver problems. If they are, we’ll lower the dosage or stop the drug and change to a new one.

Surgery

If you have advanced cirrhosis or liver cancer, you may need surgery. We’ll explain your options and talk about which procedure will give you the best results. Our experienced surgeons may recommend:

Cleveland Clinic is a leader in doing transplants with a liver from a living donor. If you need a transplant, your care team will go over all options for replacing your damaged liver with a healthy one.

Taking the Next Step

Liver disease probably isn’t anything you ever expected to face. But an early diagnosis, treatment and lifestyle changes can often help you avoid liver damage or even failure. Cleveland Clinic’s caring and experienced providers are here to walk you through what to expect, recommend the best treatment and guide you along every step of this often unexpected journey.