Q. What causes the liver disease?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
The liver is like a powerhouse in your body, doing all sorts of important tasks like filtering toxins from your blood, processing nutrients from food, and producing bile to help with digestion. But like any hardworking machine, it can run into trouble.
One big cause of liver disease is excessive alcohol consumption. Your liver can only handle so much alcohol at a time, and heavy drinking overloads it, leading to damage and inflammation. Another common culprit is viral infections like hepatitis, which directly attack liver cells.
Certain medical conditions like obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol can also put stress on your liver over time, causing fatty liver disease. This happens when too much fat builds up in the liver cells, interfering with their function.
There are also genetic factors that can play a role in liver disease, like hereditary conditions that affect how your liver processes certain substances.
To diagnose liver disease, doctors often use a series of tests called liver function tests (LFTs). These tests measure different markers in your blood that can indicate how well your liver is working. Things like levels of enzymes, proteins, and bilirubin can give clues about liver health. If your LFT results are abnormal, it could signal a problem with your liver function.
It's important to catch liver disease early, as it can progress and cause serious complications if left untreated. So if you're experiencing symptoms like fatigue, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), abdominal pain, or dark urine, it's crucial to take a online doctor consultation and get tested. They can help determine the cause of your symptoms and recommend the appropriate treatment to help keep your liver healthy.
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