Allergens are everywhere – the dustmite faeces in your cotton pillow or the clump of pollen riding on the breeze will do it for some. For others, the shrimp in their omelette or the sweet flesh of a woodapple are enough to trigger severe allergic reactions.

Cirrhosis is the term used to describe a diseased liver that has been severely scarred, usually due to many years of continuous injury. The liver is a large organ (weighing about three pounds) that is located in the right upper abdomen, beneath the rib cage.