A woman is raising awareness of liver disease in the South Asian community and the stigma around it which can stop people seeking treatment. 

People from parts of South Asia are more at risk of NAFLD, non-alcohol fatty liver disease, and delays in seeking support has the potential to lead to life-threatening progression of the disease.

Anninder Khatka was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis earlier this year. It causes the body’s immune system to attack its own cells. 

She said: “There is a lot of stigma around liver conditions generally. I think this comes from a lack of awareness about the vast range of conditions and not talking about them enough with our friends, family and within our communities.

"I always tell people around me about my conditions to get the word out there. The word hepatitis means inflamed liver and autoimmune hepatitis is not well known. If I had not been monitored because of my lupus, my story could have been quite different.

“Regardless of what a person’s liver condition is, or any condition it is linked to, we should support and help all without judgement or bias. It’s a principle I try to live my life by, driven by my Sikh beliefs. Through talking more, we can build understanding and awareness and play a part in doing away with stigma and turn the focus towards supporting and helping people.” 

If caught at an early stage, liver damage can be reversed. However, it is often diagnosed late because symptoms are either vague or non-existent in the early states. Three-quarters of people diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver are found when it is too late for effective intervention or treatment and one in four people diagnosed late in hospital sadly die within a couple of months.  

She said: “I felt very weak and was falling asleep at work. At some stages I even felt like I was blacking out. The exhaustion was beyond anything I ever experienced and no amount of sleep or rest could shake it off and my urine was bright orange.” 

Anninder had previously been diagnosed with two other autoimmune illnesses – Sjogren’s Syndrome, where the immune system attacks the tear, salivary and sweat glands; and lupus SLE which made her body ache continuously and caused a facial rash. As a result, doctors had been monitoring her health closely so were able to diagnose the autoimmune hepatitis more quickly.  

Deaths from liver disease have doubled in the past 20 years, with more than 10,500 people dying each year. The Trust is the largest UK liver charity for adults and leads the fight against liver disease and liver cancer. 

Pamela Healy, OBE, chief executive of the British Liver Trust said: “We’re very grateful to Anninder for sharing her story on our website and applaud her enthusiasm and determination to get people talking about liver disease. As she so rightly says, we need all need to talk about liver disease because it can help to save lives.”  

Find out more about Anninder's story here