Liver diseases are also called hepatic diseases. Doctors who specialize in treating them are called hepatologists. Patients might be referred to a hepatologist because they have an abnormal liver function test or are showing symptoms of liver disease. Early diagnosis and treatment may stop the progression of some types of liver damage.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis means "inflammation of the liver." There are five strains of hepatitis virus of which HAV, HBV and HCV are most common in the U.S. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, viral hepatitis is a major contributor to cancer of the liver. It also the leading cause of liver transplants. In many instances, people infected with hepatitis may not even know they are infected. The CDC estimates that 1.2 million Americans have chronic hepatitis B and another 3.2 million have hepatitis C.
Alcoholic Liver Disease
According to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, alcoholic liver disease causes about 20,000 deaths per year. While the exact mechanism by which alcohol destroys the liver is unknown, it has long been appreciated that alcoholic liver disease is a function of how long and how much the alcoholic drank. According to Johns Hopkins, approximately one-third of heavy drinkers will develop this disease.
While many patients with early stage liver disease may experience no symptoms, patients with advanced diseases often experience hypertension, jaundice and encephalopathy. Complete cessation of alcohol consumption may arrest this disease.
Cancer
According to MayoClinic.com, while primary liver cancer is quite common globally, it is relatively rare in the U.S. Most cases of primary liver cancer in the U.S. are secondary to other cancers, such as in the case of a colon cancer that spreads to the liver.
There are several different types of primary liver cancers. While the prognosis for most is grave, some liver cancers such as hepatoblastomas can be successfully treated.
