To assess the health of the liver, the doctor may order blood tests, ultrasound and even a biopsy because they provide important information about changes in that organ.
The liver participates in the digestion of food and it passes through all the ingested substances, including medications, and that is why when the liver is sick the person may have more difficulty in properly digesting fats , needing to follow a special diet, and may have to avoid taking drugs in the form of a syrup or tablet, using injections or inhalations, for example. Check the functions of the liver.
Tests that your doctor may order to assess your liver health include:
Bloodtests
Whenever the doctor needs to assess the health of the liver he starts by ordering a blood test called AST, ALT, GGT, albumin, bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase and prothrombin time which easily indicate when this organ is affected, because these markers are very sensitive .
These tests can also be ordered when the person has symptoms of liver involvement such as yellow skin, dark urine, abdominal pain or swelling in the liver area. However, the doctor can also order these tests when he needs to assess the liver of a person who takes medication daily, consumes a lot of alcohol or has a disease that affects him directly or indirectly.
Imaging exams
Ultrasonography, elastography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance and Fibroscan are able to demonstrate through an image generated on a computer how the structure of the liver is found, making it easy for the technician to identify the presence of cysts or tumors, and in some cases it can be useful to assess the passage of blood through the organ.
Usually, the doctor orders this type of test when the blood tests are abnormal or when the liver is very swollen. It can also be useful after an automobile or sports accident, when organ damage is suspected.
