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How Can I Prevent Cirrhosis?

• If you drink, know your limits and do not exceed them. Keep in mind, though, that alcohol tolerance can vary greatly from one person to the next. Doctors often advise people to set a daily limit of one or two drinks and to avoid drinking every day.
• Avoid uncooked shellfish.
• Never mix alcohol and drugs. Some medications, including acetaminophen, react with alcohol and can damage the liver.
• Avoid exposure to industrial chemicals, which can enter the bloodstream and cause liver damage.
• Maintain a healthy, balanced diet.

Take precautions to avoid contracting viral hepatitis. Practice safe sex and — if you use intravenous drugs — be especially careful to avoid dirty needles. Before traveling to countries where the disease is prevalent, ask your doctor about hepatitis B vaccinations and immune serum globulin shots. (Immune serum globulin shots provide ready-made defender proteins called antibodies, whereas vaccinations prompt the body to produce its own.)

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