4 Ways Palliative Care Can Help with Liver Disease
Living with liver disease can be difficult, but palliative care can make a big difference. Whether you have hepatitis, liver cancer, or cirrhosis (from any cause), palliative care can help you manage symptoms and improve your quality of life. If you or a loved one has liver disease, it’s important to know how palliative care can support you—from diagnosis through treatment.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness, like liver disease. This type of care is focused on relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. Palliative care is provided by a specially trained team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists who work together with your other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided alongside curative treatments.
How Does Palliative Care Help with Liver Disease?
Liver disease can cause a wide range of symptoms, from pain and nausea to fatigue (feeling weak or tired), jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), and lack of appetite, amongst others. These symptoms can make it difficult to get through your daily activities. Palliative care doctors are experts at treating these symptoms to help you feel better.
Here are 4 of the ways palliative care can help with liver disease:
1. Symptom relief
Liver disease can cause pain, swelling, nausea, and difficulty eating. The palliative care team will help manage these symptoms with medications and other therapies, so you can be more comfortable.
2. Emotional support
Living with liver disease can be overwhelming and stressful. The palliative care team will work with you and your family to offer emotional and psychological support. This might include talking through fears or concerns, or connecting you with counseling services.
3. Coordination of care
You’ll likely have many doctors involved in your care, such as liver specialists (hepatologists), surgeons, and primary care doctors. The palliative care team will help coordinate your treatment, ensuring everyone works together to meet your needs.
4. Help with decisions
There are often complicated decisions to be made about your care. The palliative care team will explain your options, answer your questions, and help you make decisions that align with your goals and values.
When Should You Get Palliative Care?
You can benefit from palliative care at any stage of liver disease. It’s a good idea to ask for palliative care soon after your diagnosis. The sooner you receive this support, the sooner the palliative care team can help improve your quality of life.
If you’re receiving treatment for your liver disease—such as surgery, medications, or a liver transplant—palliative care can be an important part of your care plan. It works hand in hand with the treatments aimed at controlling your liver disease. Also, your palliative care team will know which treatment choices align with your personal goals, so they will always have your best interests in mind as they work closely with other doctors.
How to Get Palliative Care for Liver Disease
If you or a loved one are living with liver disease, ask your doctor for a palliative care referral. Depending on your needs, you can receive palliative care in hospitals, outpatient clinics, or even at home. Visit the Palliative Care Provider Directory to find a palliative care team near you.
For more information on liver disease prevention and treatment, or to find support and resources for liver disease patients and their families, visit the American Liver Foundation at liverfoundation.org.
About GetPalliativeCare.org
GetPalliativeCare.org is an online resource for patients and families that focuses on providing information on palliative care from the point of diagnosis. For more information about palliative care and to see if it’s right for you, visit GetPalliativeCare.org.
The site is provided by the Center to Advance Palliative Care.
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