Quitting can be very difficult, but a doctor can help you create a plan that’s right for you. Smoking contains toxins that can injure your liver cells and most other cells in your body. Even if you feel like you don’t have 30 minutes to spare, try breaking up exercise into two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions. This also reduces the likelihood you’ll have fatty liver disease. Exercise helps burn excess fat for energy. Having more weight can lead to a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. If you have an enlarged liver, your doctor will likely consider your overall symptoms, medical history, and imaging and blood studies before making a diagnosis.īecause your liver is so vital to your health, you should do the following to maintain good liver health: Treatments for these diseases depend on the condition. Treatments usually aim to reduce fluid buildup and improve heart function in this serious heart failure side effect.Īdditionally, rare diseases like Gaucher’s disease, Wilson’s disease, or Niemann-Pick disease can cause liver enlargement. Right heart failure can cause excess fluid to build up in the liver’s blood vessels. Treatments depend on the cancer type but may include surgery and radiation.
Many people will feel better in 2 weeks to several months. Infectious mononucleosis is a viral disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.
It can be reversed in early stages with weight loss and abstaining from alcohol. Fatty liverįatty liver is a condition that can occur due to heavy alcohol use or having more weight. Treatments for cirrhosis slow the progression of further scarring. CirrhosisĬirrhosis can be the result of chronic alcohol consumption, hepatitis, or other liver-related conditions. Biliary atresiaīiliary atresia is a rare condition that affects the size or presence of the bile ducts. The body may clear the virus or a person can develop chronic hepatitis, such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Acute hepatitisĪcute hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by one of the five hepatitis viruses. Some people may report a feeling of abdominal fullness or pressure.Ī variety of medical conditions can cause an enlarged liver. When the liver gets larger, it doesn’t always cause symptoms. The condition of having an enlarged liver is called hepatomegaly. A doctor will also usually compare these results with other imaging studies, which may include a CT scan. These differences can cause some variance accuracy. Its lobes are different sizes and can be larger and smaller in areas depending on where the ultrasound professional is taking measurements. The size of the liver is measured on the screen. You’ll lie down, and they’ll use a special wand device to transmit images of the liver to an ultrasound screen. Typically, a person who specializes in ultrasound, known as an ultrasonographer, or a liver doctor will perform the ultrasound. Because ultrasound uses sound waves, it doesn’t expose a person to radiation, like many imaging techniques do. Ultrasound is a painless imaging technique that uses sound waves to compare solid organs with other surroundings, such as blood. When they want greater accuracy, they’ll usually use ultrasound. Sometimes, when the liver is extremely enlarged, a doctor can identify the enlargement on an X-ray. Doctors use imaging studies to estimate liver size.