Having high liver enzymes can mean many things including problems caused by excessive alcohol consumption and obesity. It is often discovered during tests for different reasons and would usually require further testing to determine the cause.
High liver enzymes are not necessarily something to worry drastically about before the root cause has been determined. It can be triggered by easily treated issues such as stress, infection, gallstones or taking certain medication. Tests such as Liver Function Tests (or LFTs) will be carried out once high liver enzymes have been suspected to get to the bottom of the cause. Questions will be asked regarding any kind of medication the patient may be taking (including herbal substances or natural remedies) as well as details of how much alcohol or drugs are consumed on a weekly basis. These questions will all help doctors to determine the cause.
In addition to those mentioned other possible causes include:
- Diabetes
- Hepatitis
- Tumours
- Cancer
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis (a type of liver disease)
Most of the latter causes will be accompanied by other symptoms such as dizziness, increased appetite, weight loss or gain, blurred vision and pain. There I no one prevalent cause of high liver enzymes and so further investigation is always recommended, treatment will depend on the cause of the problem.
High liver enzymes are not necessarily something to worry drastically about before the root cause has been determined. It can be triggered by easily treated issues such as stress, infection, gallstones or taking certain medication. Tests such as Liver Function Tests (or LFTs) will be carried out once high liver enzymes have been suspected to get to the bottom of the cause. Questions will be asked regarding any kind of medication the patient may be taking (including herbal substances or natural remedies) as well as details of how much alcohol or drugs are consumed on a weekly basis. These questions will all help doctors to determine the cause.
In addition to those mentioned other possible causes include:
- Diabetes
- Hepatitis
- Tumours
- Cancer
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis (a type of liver disease)
Most of the latter causes will be accompanied by other symptoms such as dizziness, increased appetite, weight loss or gain, blurred vision and pain. There I no one prevalent cause of high liver enzymes and so further investigation is always recommended, treatment will depend on the cause of the problem.
