Liver Disorder
Your liver, a vital organ, undertakes numerous critical functions in the body, including the filtration of toxins from the bloodstream. While the liver is adept at this task, its role as a filter renders it susceptible to damage from the toxins it encounters. Excessive toxin exposure can overwhelm the liver’s capacity and compromise its function, either temporarily or chronically.
When healthcare professionals mention liver disease, they typically refer to chronic conditions that progressively harm the liver over time. Viral infections, toxic exposure, and certain metabolic disorders are common culprits behind chronic liver disease. Despite the liver’s remarkable regenerative abilities, the continuous strain of repair work eventually takes its toll, leading to a decline in function that can become irreversible over time.
Chronic liver disease progresses in roughly four stages:
- Hepatitis.
- Fibrosis.
- Cirrhosis.
- Liver failure.
- Jaundice, characterized by a yellowish tint to the whites of the eyes and skin.
- Dark-colored urine. Light-colored stool.
- Digestive issues, particularly with the digestion of fats.
- Unexplained weight loss and muscle wasting.
- Foul-smelling breath.
- Mild cognitive impairment, known as hepatic encephalopathy.
- Pruritus, or itchy skin, without the presence of a visible rash.
Blood tests: Liver function tests assess liver enzymes, proteins, and bilirubin levels in the blood, providing insight into liver health, disease severity, and potential liver failure. These tests can also detect inflammation, specific diseases, or complications such as reduced blood clotting.
Imaging tests: Abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI can visualize the liver’s size, shape, and texture, aiding in the detection of inflammation, swelling, growths, and fibrosis.
Elastography: Utilizing ultrasound or MRI technology, elastography measures liver stiffness or fibrosis levels.
Endoscopy: Endoscopic imaging may be necessary to examine the biliary tract. This procedure involves passing an endoscope through the upper GI tract, allowing for visualization of the bile ducts using techniques like EUS or ERCP.
Nuclear medicine imaging: A liver and spleen scan employs a gamma camera to detect a harmless radioactive tracer material injected into the body. Abnormal tracer absorption by the liver can highlight areas of dysfunction.
Liver biopsy: This minimally invasive procedure involves extracting a small tissue sample from the liver for laboratory testing. It can aid in diagnosing liver conditions such as cancer or cirrhosis and help determine their underlying causes. Biopsies are typically performed using a hollow needle.