What Can Cause Liver Damage?

You may have significant liver damage and not realize the seriousness of your condition, because liver damage rarely produces symptoms until the damage is severe. The causes of liver damage include lifestyle factors, certain medications and dietary supplements, and chronic viral infections. Consider this information from the Mayo Clinic and the American Liver Foundation about what can cause liver damage.

Alcohol

• If you drink alcohol in heavy amounts for a long duration of time, you may experience liver damage, including cancer or liver failure.

Toxic Mushrooms

• Mistakenly eating the toxic mushroom, aptly called "deathcap" or amanita mushrooms, produces a toxic substance that causes rapid liver damage and sometimes death.

Herbs

• If you take certain herbs, including cascara, chaparral, kava or ma-huang, you may develop liver damage, especially if you use them at the same time as certain medications.

Medications

• If you take medications such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, aspirin, ibuprofen or antibiotics, you may develop liver damage as a result.

Hormones

• Using synthetic hormones, including birth control pills and anabolic steroids, may cause you to develop inflammation that damages your liver.

Poisons

• Poisonous chemicals that you may come into contact with, such as carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene and paraquat, can cause liver damage if you are exposed.

Chronic Viral Hepatitis

• If you have chronic viral hepatitis B or C, you may develop liver damage over the course of several years or decades of infection.