18^th Euro-Global Gastroenterology Conference

Liver diseases

The liver is an organ about the size of a football that sits just under your rib cage on the right side of your abdomen. The liver is essential for digesting food and ridding your body of toxic substances.

Liver disease can be inherited (genetic) or caused by a variety of factors that damage the liver, such as viruses and alcohol use. Obesity is also associated with liver damage. Over time, damage to the liver results in scarring (cirrhosis), this can lead to liver failure, a life-threatening condition.

• cirrhosis
• alcohol abuse
• hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E
• Epstein Barr virus (infectious mononucleosis)
• non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Iron overload (hemochromatosis)