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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffReduce your risk of cirrhosis by taking care of your liver. For instance:
- Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. If you're a man, drink no more than two drinks a day. If you're a woman or anyone 65 or older, drink no more than one drink a day.
- Eat a healthy diet. Choose a plant-based diet that's full of fruits and vegetables. Select whole grains and lean sources of protein. Reduce the amount of fatty and fried foods you eat.
- Maintain a healthy weight. An excess amount of body fat can damage your liver. Lose weight if you are obese or overweight.
- Use chemicals sparingly and carefully. Follow the directions on household chemicals, such as cleaning supplies and insect sprays. If you work around chemicals, follow all safety precautions. Your liver removes toxins from your body, so give it a break by limiting the amount of toxins it must process.
- Reduce your risk of hepatitis. Sharing needles and having unprotected sex can increase your risk of hepatitis B and C. Protect yourself by abstaining from sex or using a condom if you choose to have sex. Ask your doctor whether you should be vaccinated for hepatitis B.
If you're concerned about your risk of liver cirrhosis, talk to your doctor about ways you can reduce your risk.
References
- Bonis PAL, et al. Patient information: Cirrhosis. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Goldberg E, et al. Overview of the complications, prognosis and management of cirrhosis. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Dec. 16, 2008.
- Cirrhosis basics. American Gastroenterological Association. http://www.gastro.org/frame-templates/print_template.cfm. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Kelso LN. Cirrhosis: Caring for patients with end-stage liver failure. The Nurse Practitioner. 2008;33:24.
- McNally PR, et al. Common GI problems: Volume 3. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/cgp/cgpvol3.asp?mode=print&. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Cirrhosis. American Liver Foundation. http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/cirrhosis/. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Liver health tips. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://www.aasld.org/yourliver/Pages/LiverHealthTips.aspx. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Rambaldi A, et al. S-adenosyl-L-methionine for alcoholic liver disease (review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006:CD002235.
- Seeff LB. Herbal hepatotoxicity. Clinics in Liver Disease. 2007;11:577.
- Tillisch K. Complementary and alternative medicine for gastrointestinal disorders. Clinical Medicine. 2007;7:224.
- Rambaldi A, et al. Milk thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases (review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:CD003620.
