Family, friends and carers

Worried about your loved one’s liver?

Sometimes you can suspect your loved one has a problem before they know it themselves. If they are at risk of a liver condition, then helping them to get help as soon as possible can make a big difference.

9 in 10 cases of liver disease in the UK could be prevented if people were able to make some changes in their everyday life before they are unwell. Finding out if your loved one is at risk is the first step to getting help and making those changes.

The information on this page is for:

Family, friends, and carers of an adult with suspected liver disease

You can find information about caring for a child with liver disease here.

On this page:

Symptoms of liver disease

Unfortunately many people do not get symptoms until they are already very unwell. So do not wait for symptoms if you think your loved one might be at risk.

You can find out more about symptoms here.

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Online at-risk checker

Our free online at-risk checker is a good way for your loved one to check on their risk factors. It is completely confidential, and the results will not be shared with their doctor or anyone else.

Ask your loved one to give it a go and encourage them to be honest with their answers. A lot of us tend to say we drink a bit less or eat a little better than we really do. The online tool cannot judge anyone. It will just let them know if they might be at risk.

At-risk checker

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Keeping your loved one’s liver healthy

Many types of liver disease can be prevented. And even if some damage has been done it can repair itself if the cause is taken away soon enough.

You cannot detox your liver and there are no supplements that will help it heal but there are things you can do. Making changes together can make them easier to stick to. You can find out more using the links below.

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Help with cutting down or stopping drinking

If your loved one drinks more than the guideline amount of alcohol, then they are at risk of liver disease. Ideally, they should try to cut down to the guideline amount of 14 units, which is 6 to 7 drinks. And have 3 days in a row each week where they do not drink alcohol.

For some people this is not too hard. You could decide together to only have a drink at the weekends. Your loved one could swap some of their regular drinks for non-alcoholic versions.

But if cutting down or stopping is very difficult then it is important to seek help.

You can find links to organisations who can help with alcohol dependence here.

There are also links for support if your loved one’s drinking has become a problem or a risk to you.

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Next - just diagnosed

Useful links
Living with a liver condition
Family, friends and carers
Worried about your loved one’s liver?
Just diagnosed
Everyday life
Liver transplant
If your loved one is nearing the end of life
Support