The liver is the essential component of our body. The well being of our health depends on the functioning of the liver. Functioning of the liver is essential for every human being. The malfunctioning of the liver can lead to premature death. As an important organ of our body, it is necessary that human being should take precautionary measures in order to keep the liver in good shape and prevent any untimely disease. Like all other organs of our body, the liver also needs certain cares and proper medical treatment whenever necessary, and any timely check of the liver can resist any major disease and helps to lead a normal and healthy life.
Causes That May Affect Your Liver
The liver can be affected in many ways. If you are prone to take, consume or drink any substance, food or alcohol is detrimental to liver, it may affect your liver badly. Your liver may be severely damaged by this. The liver acts as a machine like a filter. After digestion, it filters the blood and helps to send it to the other portion of the human physique. Protein is made by the liver, and it plays important function when the blood clots.
It is noticed that if anyone consumes too much alcohol, indulges in too much drinking or smoke continuously, his or her liver functioning may get disturbed. Alcohol gets integrated into the blood rapidly. And the passing of the blood mixed with alcohol through the liver may rupture the liver beyond repair. Not only that if you have the tendency of high blood pressure, but it may also cause damage to your liver.
What Are The Needs Of Liver Functioning Tests?
Certain medicines are also harmful to the liver; especially medicine is taken during the time of pregnancy. The liver functioning test must be carried out if you are an alcoholic person. It is also true for a person who takes certain drugs which are detrimental to the liver. The liver functioning test is generally the cluster of tests which are conducted after collecting the blood. After this type of test, the patient would get informed about the condition of his/her liver.
When liver gets damaged, it causes major secretion. Liver function test tries to dictate the harm or injuries done to the liver through this type of test. Through this, the condition of the liver is diagnosed in a proper way. It indicates the level of injuries done to the liver. Cirrhosis is the common form of liver related disease. It can be measured or dictated if a proper liver function test is done at the right time.
It causes many ruptures and liver also contain many scar marks. It creates an obstacle before the proper functioning of the liver. It can be prevented if liver functioning is done at the right moment.
Types of Liver test
Alanine Transaminase (ALT) Test-
Alanine Transaminase is an enzyme in our body that is required for the metabolism of protein. If our kidney is damaged, or its malfunctioning, then the Alanine Transaminase enzyme is secreted in our blood and its amount in blood becomes high. Thus, a high presence of Alanine Transaminase in alanine transaminase test confirms that the liver is damaged or malfunctioning.
Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Test
Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) is present in several parts of the body like heart, muscles, and liver. Though the AST level is not specific for liver damage, but doctors follow the AST to ALT ratio to find out and diagnose if the liver or muscles are prone to damage or if it’s damaged.
Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) Test
Alkaline Phosphatase is found in Liver, bile duct, and bones. ALP Test is done along with other tests to confirm blockage, damage of the bile ducts, or the bones.
Albumin Test
Albumin is a protein that is prepared mainly by the liver. If somehow the liver is unable to produce this protein, the blood albumin level is reduced. Thus low albumin level is the indication of malfunctioning liver.
Bilirubin Blood Test
A bilirubin test usually measures the level of bilirubin which is a byproduct of the old red blood cells in the blood. In common, bilirubin passes through your liver and is excreted through your intestines as bile.
Nonalcoholic Liver Disease
Fatty liver is another common type of liver disease. Your liver accumulates weight when you absorb alcohol beyond the limit. Fatty liver is a kind of silent disease that may lead to hepatitis which is not only fatal but also deadly. Liver functioning test plays its desired role when to identify the symptoms fatty liver. Fatty liver is not related to alcohol. A person who does not take alcoholic substance may suffer from fatty liver.
And the liver functioning test may get you closure to the accurate information. A certain portion of fat is permissible in your liver, but when it exceeds the recognized mark, it proves fatal to your liver. The proper functioning of liver means it has the little amount of fat. As the accumulation of fat get, unnoticed liver functioning test plays the role of an ideal indicator.
Liver diseases are symptomatic, so liver functioning test helps to identify the symptoms associated with liver disease. Pt/Inr, Bilirubin tests are the major ones that are associated with a liver functioning test. The liver functioning test depends on certain factors like the age of the patient, his or her health. It works on certain distinctions. The same liver functioning test is not applied to everyone. It varies depending on the certain criteria that may changes from patient to patient. Certain precautionary measures may prevent the deteriorating condition of the liver. It would also be helpful if anyone undertakes the liver functioning test simultaneously. It would not only indicate your state of liver but also give you information about your overall well-being.
