Warning signs that liver cells are dying a lot

06/02/2022 10:35 GMT+7

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien (Dong Da, Hanoi) said that she often had itchy skin. When she went to check, the doctor said that she had elevated liver enzymes and fatty liver. Until now, she herself still thinks that itching is caused by allergies because of a history of allergies. However, blood tests and abdominal ultrasound showed a “heavy” of liver disease.

Like Ms. Hien, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ninh (My Dinh, Hanoi) went for a routine health check and also found an increase in liver enzymes. The reason for the increase in liver enzymes was that during the last seagame, Mr. Ninh drank too much alcohol and watched football with his friends. When he went to the doctor, his liver enzyme test was up to 375 Ul/L, 5.6 times higher than normal people. The doctor said that if he didn’t abstain from alcohol, his liver enzymes would continue to rise, so he had to be hospitalized for treatment of elevated liver enzymes.

According to Dr. Le Thi Tuyet Phuong – Head of Gastroenterology Department – People’s Hospital 115, the liver is the largest and most important organ of the body. Liver enzymes help to function and react to carry out the functions of the liver. Liver enzymes are produced in liver cells. When liver cells are old, necrotic, and dead, liver enzymes are released into the blood, and liver cells die just enough for the body to function normally. When many liver cells die, they enter the blood, causing an increase in liver enzymes.

Dr. Phuong said elevated liver enzymes outside the liver could be secreted by the heart or bones. So you have some other medical condition that also increases liver enzymes.

The main causes of elevated liver enzymes are viral hepatitis, steatohepatitis, and hepatitis of other causes. In particular, the increase in liver enzymes caused by alcohol is the most common in Vietnam. Viral infection, especially hepatitis B, is also very alarming. In some areas, the population has a very high rate of viral hepatitis, which also increases liver enzymes.

Required liver enzyme tests.

Some people use pain relievers, fever reducers also increase liver inflammation, increase liver enzymes. These drugs are easy to buy over the counter many people have chronic hepatitis because of overuse of these drugs.

According to Dr. Phuong, acute liver disease often has obvious symptoms that patients can detect through symptoms and go to the doctor. But the most fear is that the disease progresses silently without symptoms. When the patient went for a checkup, it was found that the liver enzymes in the blood were elevated.

In some cases, patients showed anorexia, vomiting and. … mild fever, fatigue. Right lower quadrant pain: When liver enzymes are elevated, the patient will feel a dull pain in the right lower abdomen. Itchiness is caused by impaired liver function, causing toxins to accumulate in the body, on the skin causing itching.

When detecting liver damage, depending on the extent and cause of damage and the progression of this cause, the doctor will have appropriate indications.

The first is lifestyle. Sometimes we have to change such as: people who drink alcohol need to stop drinking, people who use drugs that affect the liver must have drugs to help reduce the harm caused by drugs, people with hepatitis need to use drugs. Use antiviral drugs.

Second, it is necessary to have a process of eating, nutrition, exercise, and rest to slow the progression of the disease. There are some chronic liver diseases that cannot be prevented, but there are some that can help the disease stop its progression, or slow it down.

Dr. Phuong recommends that people regularly check their health. In the periodic health check-up package, there will be a liver enzyme test, a blood lipid disorder test, some places also have a test for hepatitis C, a test for sugar, etc. Periodic health checks are especially necessary in people with risk factors for liver disease.

In particular, people with initial symptoms such as rashes, due to impaired liver function, cause bilirubin in the body to increase, causing itchy skin. Large amounts of bilirubin are broken down, causing the urine to turn dark yellow or even brown. You should go for a general health check to be able to diagnose the disease as soon as possible.

Phuong Thuy