Timbrt/Liver-Text-OA huggingface dataset:
Question: What causes Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis ?
Answer: Although NASH has become more common, its underlying cause is still not clear. It most often occurs in persons who are middle-aged and overweight or obese. Many patients with NASH have elevated blood lipids, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, and many have diabetes or prediabetes, but not every obese person or every patient with diabetes has NASH. Furthermore, some patients with NASH are not obese, do not have diabetes, and have normal blood cholesterol and lipids. NASH can occur without any apparent risk factor and can even occur in children. Thus, NASH is not simply obesity that affects the liver.
                
While the underlying reason for the liver injury that causes NASH is not known, several factors are possible candidates:
                
- insulin resistance  - release of toxic inflammatory proteins by fat cells (cytokines)  - oxidative stress (deterioration of cells) inside liver cells
Question: What to do for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis ?
Answer: - Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is fat in the liver, with inflammation and damage.  - NASH occurs in people who drink little or no alcohol and affects 2 to 5 percent of Americans, especially people who are middle-aged and overweight or obese.  - NASH can occur in children.  - People who have NASH may feel well and may not know that they have a liver disease.  - NASH can lead to cirrhosis, a condition in which the liver is permanently damaged and cannot work properly.  - Fatigue can occur at any stage of NASH.  - Weight loss and weakness may begin once the disease is advanced or cirrhosis is present.  - NASH may be suspected if blood tests show high levels of liver enzymes or if scans show fatty liver.  - NASH is diagnosed by examining a small piece of the liver taken through a needle, a procedure called biopsy.  - People who have NASH should reduce their weight, eat a balanced diet, engage in physical activity, and avoid alcohol and unnecessary medications.  - No specific therapies for NASH exist. Experimental therapies being studied include antioxidants and antidiabetes medications.
Question: What is (are) Alagille Syndrome ?
Answer: Alagille syndrome is a genetic condition that results in various symptoms in different parts of the body, including the liver. A person with Alagille syndrome has fewer than the normal number of small bile ducts inside the liver. The liver is the organ in the abdomenthe area between the chest and hipsthat makes blood proteins and bile, stores energy and nutrients, fights infection, and removes harmful chemicals from the blood.
                
Bile ducts are tubes that carry bile from the liver cells to the gallbladder for storage and to the small intestine for use in digestion. Bile is fluid made by the liver that carries toxins and waste products out of the body and helps the body digest fats and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. In people with Alagille syndrome, the decreased number of bile ducts causes bile to build up in the liver, a condition also called cholestasis, leading to liver damage and liver disease.
Question: What is (are) Alagille Syndrome ?
Answer: The digestive system is made up of the gastrointestinal (GI) tractalso called the digestive tractand the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. The GI tract is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. The hollow organs that make up the GI tract are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestinewhich includes the colon and rectumand anus. Food enters the mouth and passes to the anus through the hollow organs of the digestive system. The liver, pancreas, and gallbladder are the solid organs of the digestive system. The digestive system helps the body digest food.
Question: What to do for Alagille Syndrome ?
Answer: Researchers have not found that eating, diet, and nutrition play a role in causing or preventing Alagille syndrome. However, these factors are important for people with Alagille syndrome, particularly children, who are malnourished, growing poorly, or have delayed puberty. Caregivers and parents of children with Alagille syndrome should try to maximize their children's potential for growth through good eating, diet, and nutrition.
                
A nutritionist or a dietitiana person with training in nutrition and dietcan work with someone with Alagille syndrome and his or her health care team to build an appropriate healthy eating plan. A person with Alagille syndrome may need to take dietary supplements or vitamins in addition to eating a set number of calories, based on the type of complications the person has. Researchers consider good nutrition to be one of the most important aspects of managing the disorder.
                
If potential liver problems are present, a person with Alagille syndrome should not drink alcoholic beverages without talking with his or her health care provider first.
                
Additionally, eating, diet, and nutrition play a part in overall health and preventing further health problems.
Question: What to do for Alagille Syndrome ?
Answer: - Alagille syndrome is a genetic condition that results in various symptoms in different parts of the body, including the liver.  - A person with Alagille syndrome has fewer than the normal number of small bile ducts inside the liver.  - In people with Alagille syndrome, the decreased number of bile ducts causes bile to build up in the liver, a condition also called cholestasis, leading to liver damage and liver disease.  - Alagille syndrome is caused by a gene mutation, or defect. Approximately 30 to 50 percent of people with Alagille syndrome have an inherited gene mutation, meaning it has been passed on by a parent.  - Alagille syndrome occurs in about one of every 30,000 live births. The disorder affects both sexes equally and shows no geographical, racial, or ethnic preferences.  - The gene mutations that cause Alagille syndrome may cause mild or subtle symptoms. Some people may not know they are affected.  - The signs and symptoms of Alagille syndrome and their severity vary, even among people in the same family sharing the same gene mutation.  - In some people, problems in the liver may be the first signs and symptoms of the disorder.  - The complications of Alagille syndrome include liver failure, portal hypertension, and growth problems.  - Ten to 30 percent of people with Alagille syndrome will eventually need a liver transplant.  - A health care provider diagnoses Alagille syndrome by performing a thorough physical exam and other tests.  - Genetic counseling can help family members understand how genetic test results may affect them individually and as a family.  - Treatment for Alagille syndrome includes medications and therapies that increase the flow of bile from the liver, promote growth and development in infants' and children's bodies, correct nutritional deficiencies, and reduce the person's discomfort.  - Scientists have not yet found a way to prevent Alagille syndrome.  - Caregivers and parents of children with Alagille syndrome should try to maximize their children's potential for growth through good eating, diet, and nutrition.
Question: What is (are) What I need to know about Cirrhosis ?
Answer: Cirrhosis* is scarring of the liver. Scar tissue forms because of injury or long-term disease. Scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue and blocks the normal flow of blood through the liver.
                
A healthy liver
                
- makes proteins  - helps fight infections  - cleans the blood  - helps digest food  - stores a form of sugar that your body uses for energy
                
A liver with too much scar tissue cannot work properly. You cannot live without a liver that works. But early treatment can control symptoms and keep cirrhosis from getting worse.
                

                
*See the Pronunciation Guide for tips on how to say the words in bold type.
Question: What causes What I need to know about Cirrhosis ?
Answer: Causes of cirrhosis include
                
- heavy alcohol use  - some drugs, medicines, and harmful chemicals  - infections  - chronic hepatitis B, C, or Dviral infections that attack the liver  - autoimmune hepatitis, which causes the bodys immune system to destroy liver cells  - nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which is often caused by obesity  - diseases that damage or destroy bile ductstubes that carry bile from the liver
                
Some inherited diseasesdiseases that are passed from parent to childcan cause cirrhosis:
                
- hemochromatosis, a disease that causes iron to collect in the liver  - Wilson disease, a condition that causes copper to build up in the liver  - porphyria, a disorder that affects the skin, bone marrow, and liver
Question: What are the symptoms of What I need to know about Cirrhosis ?
Answer: You may have no symptoms in the early stages of cirrhosis. As cirrhosis gets worse you may
                
- feel tired or weak  - lose your appetite  - feel sick to your stomach  - lose weight  - notice red, spider-shaped blood vessels under your skin
                
Cirrhosis can lead to other serious problems:
                
- You may bruise or bleed easily, or have nosebleeds.  - Bloating or swelling may occur as fluid builds up in your legs or abdomenthe area between your chest and hips. Fluid buildup in your legs is called edema; buildup in your abdomen is called ascites.  - Medicines, including those you can buy over the counter such as vitamins and herbal supplements, may have a stronger effect on you. Your liver does not break medicines down as quickly as a healthy liver would.   - Waste materials from food may build up in your blood or brain and cause confusion or difficulty thinking.   - Blood pressure may increase in the vein entering your liver, a condition called portal hypertension.   - Enlarged veins, called varices, may develop in your esophagus and stomach. Varices can bleed suddenly, causing you to throw up blood or pass blood in a bowel movement.   - Your kidneys may not work properly or may fail.   - Your skin and the whites of your eyes may turn yellow, a condition called jaundice.   - You may develop severe itching.   - You may develop gallstones.
                
In the early stages, cirrhosis causes your liver to swell. Then, as more scar tissue replaces healthy tissue, your liver shrinks.
                
A small number of people with cirrhosis also get liver cancer.
Question: How to diagnose What I need to know about Cirrhosis ?
Answer: Your doctor will examine you and may perform
                
- blood tests to see whether your liver is working properly   - imaging tests, which may show the size of your liver and show swelling or shrinkage   - a liver biopsy, in which a doctor uses a needle to take a small piece of liver tissue to view with a microscope to look for scar tissue
Question: What are the treatments for What I need to know about Cirrhosis ?
Answer: Once you have cirrhosis, nothing can make all the scar tissue go away. But treating the cause will keep cirrhosis from getting worse. For example, if cirrhosis is from heavy alcohol use, the treatment is to completely stop drinking alcohol. If cirrhosis is caused by hepatitis C, then the hepatitis C virus is treated with medicine.
                

                
Your doctor will suggest treatment based on the cause of your cirrhosis and your symptoms. Being diagnosed early and carefully following a treatment plan can help many people with cirrhosis. In the late stages of cirrhosis, certain treatments may not be effective. In that case, your doctor will work with you to prevent or manage the problems that cirrhosis can cause.
                

                
What if the cirrhosis treatment doesnt work?   If too much scar tissue forms, your liver could fail. Then you will need a liver transplant. A liver transplant can return you to good health. For information about liver transplantation, see the booklet What I need to know about Liver Transplantation from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Question: What are the treatments for What I need to know about Cirrhosis ?
Answer: If too much scar tissue forms, your liver could fail. Then you will need a liver transplant. A liver transplant can return you to good health. For information about liver transplantation, see the booklet What I need to know about Liver Transplantation from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Question: How to prevent What I need to know about Cirrhosis ?
Answer: To prevent cirrhosis,
                
- see your doctor for treatment of your liver disease. Many of the causes of cirrhosis are treatable. Early treatment may prevent cirrhosis.   - try to keep your weight in the normal range. Being overweight can make several liver diseases worse.   - do not drink any alcohol. Alcohol can harm liver cells. Drinking large amounts of alcohol over many years is one of the major causes of cirrhosis.   - do not use illegal drugs, which can increase your chances of getting hepatitis B or hepatitis C.   - see your doctor if you have hepatitis. Treatments for hepatitis B, C, and D are available. If you are on treatment, carefully follow your treatment directions.   - if you have autoimmune hepatitis, take your medicines and have regular checkups as recommended by your doctor or a liver specialist.
Question: What to do for What I need to know about Cirrhosis ?
Answer: - Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver. Scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue.  - Some common causes of cirrhosis include heavy alcohol use, hepatitis infections, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.  - In the early stages of cirrhosis, you may have no symptoms. As the disease gets worse, cirrhosis can cause serious problems.  - Once you have cirrhosis, nothing can make all the scar tissue go away. But treatment can prevent cirrhosis from getting worse.  - If too much scar tissue forms and your liver fails, you will need a liver transplant.  - You can take steps to prevent cirrhosis or keep it from getting worse.
Question: What are the symptoms of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura ?
Answer: Blood clots, a low platelet count, and damaged red blood cells cause the signs and symptoms of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).
                
The signs and symptoms include:
                
Purplish bruises on the skin or mucous membranes (such as in the mouth). These bruises, called purpura, are caused by bleeding under the skin.
                
Pinpoint-sized red or purple dots on the skin. These dots, called petechiae, often are found in groups and may look like a rash. Bleeding under the skin causes petechiae.
                
Paleness or jaundice (a yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes).
                
Fatigue (feeling very tired and weak).
                
Fever.
                
A fast heart rate or shortness of breath.
                
Headache, speech changes, confusion, coma, stroke, or seizure.
                
A low amount of urine, or protein or blood in the urine.
                
If you've had TTP and have any of these signs or symptoms, you may be having a relapse (flareup). Ask your doctor when to call him or her or seek emergency care.
Question: Who is at risk for Pulmonary Hypertension? ?
Answer: The exact number of people who have pulmonary hypertension (PH) isn't known.
                
Group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) without a known cause is rare. It affects women more often than men. People who have group 1 PAH tend to be overweight.
                
PH that occurs with another disease or condition is more common.
                
PH usually develops between the ages of 20 and 60, but it can occur at any age. People who are at increased risk for PH include:
                
Those who have a family history of the condition.
                
Those who have certain diseases or conditions, such as heart and lung diseases, liver disease, HIV infection, or blood clots in the pulmonary arteries. (For more information about the diseases, conditions, and factors that cause PH, go to "Types of Pulmonary Hypertension.")
                
Those who use street drugs (such as cocaine) or certain diet medicines.
                
Those who live at high altitudes.
Question: What causes Aplastic Anemia ?
Answer: Damage to the bone marrow's stem cells causes aplastic anemia. When stem cells are damaged, they don't grow into healthy blood cells.
                
The cause of the damage can be acquired or inherited. "Acquired" means you aren't born with the condition, but you develop it. "Inherited" means your parents passed the gene for the condition on to you.
                
Acquired aplastic anemia is more common, and sometimes it's only temporary. Inherited aplastic anemia is rare.
                
In many people who have aplastic anemia, the cause is unknown. Some research suggests that stem cell damage may occur because the body's immune system attacks its own cells by mistake.
                
Acquired Causes
                
Many diseases, conditions, and factors can cause aplastic anemia, including:
                
Toxins, such as pesticides, arsenic, and benzene.
                
Radiation and chemotherapy (treatments for cancer).
                
Medicines, such as chloramphenicol (an antibiotic rarely used in the United States).
                
Infectious diseases, such as hepatitis, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus (si-to-MEG-ah-lo-VI-rus), parvovirus B19, and HIV.
                
Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
                
Pregnancy. (Aplastic anemia that occurs during pregnancy often goes away after delivery.)
                
Sometimes, cancer from another part of the body can spread to the bone and cause aplastic anemia.
                
Inherited Causes
                
Certain inherited conditions can damage the stem cells and lead to aplastic anemia. Examples include Fanconi anemia, Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, dyskeratosis (DIS-ker-ah-TO-sis) congenita, and Diamond-Blackfan anemia.
Question: Who is at risk for Hemochromatosis? ?
Answer: Hemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic diseases in the United States. It's most common in Caucasians of Northern European descent. The disease is less common in African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians.
                
Primary hemochromatosis is more common in men than in women. Also, older people are more likely to develop the disease than younger people. In fact, signs and symptoms usually don't occur in men until they're 40 to 60 years old.
                
In women, signs and symptoms usually don't occur until after the age of 50 (after menopause). Young children rarely develop hemochromatosis.
                
Inheriting two faulty HFE genes (one from each parent) is the major risk factor for hemochromatosis. However, many people who have two copies of the faulty gene don't develop signs or symptoms of the disease.
                
Alcoholism is another risk factor for hemochromatosis. A family history of certain diseases and conditions also puts you at higher risk for hemochromatosis. Examples of such diseases and conditions include heart attack, liver disease, diabetes, arthritis, and erectile dysfunction (impotence).
Question: What are the symptoms of Hemochromatosis ?
Answer: Hemochromatosis can affect many parts of the body and cause various signs and symptoms. Many of the signs and symptoms are similar to those of other diseases.
                
Signs and symptoms of hemochromatosis usually don't occur until middle age. Women are more likely to have general symptoms first, such as fatigue (tiredness). In men, complications such as diabetes or cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) often are the first signs of the disease.
                
Signs and symptoms also vary based on the severity of the disease. Common signs and symptoms of hemochromatosis include joint pain, fatigue, general weakness, weight loss, and stomach pain.
                
Not everyone who has hemochromatosis has signs or symptoms of the disease. Estimates of how many people develop signs and symptoms vary greatly. Some estimates suggest that as many as half of all people who have the disease don't have signs or symptoms.
                
Hemochromatosis Complications
                
If hemochromatosis isn't found and treated early, iron builds up in your body and can lead to:
                
Liver disease, including an enlarged liver, liver failure, liver cancer, or cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
                
Heart problems, including arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and heart failure
                
Diabetes, especially in people who have a family history of diabetes
                
Joint damage and pain, including arthritis
                
Reproductive organ failure, such as erectile dysfunction (impotence), shrinkage of the testicles, and loss of sex drive in men, and absence of the menstrual cycle and early menopause in women
                
Changes in skin color that make the skin look gray or bronze
                
Underactive pituitary and thyroid glands
                
Damage to the adrenal glands
Question: Who is at risk for Vasculitis? ?
Answer: Vasculitis can affect people of all ages and races and both sexes. Some types of vasculitis seem to occur more often in people who:
                
Have certain medical conditions, such as chronic hepatitis B or C infection
                
Have certain autoimmune diseases, such a lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma
                
Smoke
                
For more information, go to "Types of Vasculitis."
Question: What causes Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency ?
Answer: Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is an inherited disease. "Inherited" means it's passed from parents to children through genes.
                
Children who have AAT deficiency inherit two faulty AAT genes, one from each parent. These genes tell cells in the body how to make AAT proteins.
                
In AAT deficiency, the AAT proteins made in the liver aren't the right shape. Thus, they get stuck in the liver cells. The proteins can't get to the organs in the body that they protect, such as the lungs. Without the AAT proteins protecting the organs, diseases can develop.
                
The most common faulty gene that can cause AAT deficiency is called PiZ. If you inherit two PiZ genes (one from each parent), you'll have AAT deficiency.
                
If you inherit a PiZ gene from one parent and a normal AAT gene from the other parent, you won't have AAT deficiency. However, you might pass the PiZ gene to your children.
                
Even if you inherit two faulty AAT genes, you may not have any related complications. You may never even realize that you have AAT deficiency.
Question: What causes Immune Thrombocytopenia ?
Answer: In most cases, an autoimmune response is thought to cause immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).
                
Normally, your immune system helps your body fight off infections and diseases. In ITP, however, your immune system attacks and destroys your body's platelets by mistake. Why this happens isn't known.
                
In some people, ITP may be linked to viral or bacterial infections, such as HIV, hepatitis C, or H. pylori.
                
Children who have acute (short-term) ITP often have had recent viral infections. These infections may "trigger" or set off the immune reaction that leads to ITP.