Alcoholic hepatitis is a type of hepatitis caused by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol over many years.
The condition is common in the UK and many people don’t realise they have it because it doesn’t usually 
cause any symptoms, although it can cause sudden jaundice and liver failure in some people.
Stopping drinking will usually allow your liver to recover, but it you continue to drink alcohol excessively, there is a risk you could eventually develop cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer.
You can reduce your risk of developing alcoholic hepatitis by controlling how much you drink. It is recommended that you don’t regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week.
Autoimmine Hepatitis
Autoimmune hepatitis is a rare cause of long-term hepatitis in which the immune system attacks and damages the liver.
Eventually, the liver can become so damaged that it stops working properly.
Treatment for autoimmune hepatitis involves very effective medicines that suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation.
It is not clear what causes autoimmune hepatitis and it’s not known whether anything can be done to prevent it.
YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIVER, IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW TO LOOK AFTER IT
Your liver is the largest organ inside your body and does hundreds of essential jobs.
- Fighting infection and disease
- Destroying poisons and drugs (including alcohol)
- Cleaning the blood
- Controlling the amount of cholesterol
- Processing food once it has been digested
It works hard and can take a lot of abuse, but it is like an elastic band – it can only stretch so far before it breaks.
Liver disease is on the increase in the UK. It can be a silent killer, with no symptoms until it is too late.
ONE IN FIVE OF US IS AT RISK OF LIVER DISESE!
It’s now the fifth largest cause of death and affects the health and well-being of many thousands of people every day.
THERE ARE MANY CAUSES OF LIVER DISEASE BUT THERE ARE THREE MAIN THREATS TO PROTECT YOUR LIVER AGAINST:
- Alcohol
- Non-alcohol related fatty liver disease
- Viral hepatitis
Read more on World Hepatitis Day and What Exactly Hepatitis Is Here
