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The liver plays an important role in our body – it is an important organ that serves almost every other organ in the body in a specific way. Liver function is essential to a healthy body as it helps regulate the levels of toxins and chemicals in the blood, digest food, and process nutrients. If you suspect your liver is not functioning properly, see a hepatologist.
What is hepatology?
The term hepatology comes from the Greek words “hepatic“And”Loggia“Which mean liver and test, respectively. Hepatology, therefore, is a branch of medicine dealing with liver diseases and related diseases.
Hepatology has traditionally been considered a subspecialty of gastroenterology that focuses on the entire digestive system and related disorders, including examination of the colon, rectum, intestines, stomach, and liver, among others.
However, hepatology is a rapidly evolving field and is now becoming recognized as a specialty in its own right thanks to its further understanding and medical advances in the treatment and examination of the liver.
See also: American scientists are alarming: the number of cases of colon and rectal cancer in people under 50 is increasing
Who is a hepatologist?
First of all, the hepatologist should not be confused with the hematologist. Hematologists are doctors who are “blood specialists,” not digestive specialists such as hepatologists.
A hepatologist is a doctor who focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions located in the area of the bile ducts, gallbladder and liver. The hepatologist generally only evaluates patients after referral from the general practitioner. The hepatologist may also be involved in the follow-up of patients who have undergone liver transplantation.
Nevertheless, in Poland, hepatology does not constitute a separate medical specialty, which is regulated by the Regulation of the Minister of Health of January 2, 2013 on the specialization of doctors and dentists. However, it is on the list of so-called medical skills in the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 27 June 2007 on skills in narrower fields of medicine or the provision of specific health services. The education program in hepatology skills is intended for doctors with the title of specialist or second degree specialization in all medical specialties.
To be a hepatologist, a physician must undergo training followed by a State Skills Examination. The hepatology training program is intended for doctors with the title of specialist or second degree specialization in all medical specialties.
In addition to caring for patients, hepatologists are also involved in active scientific research to discover new therapeutic approaches for the treatment and prevention of various hepatological diseases.
See: What will the hepatologist not eat? Here are the products that harm our liver the most
When to visit a hepatologist?
Your primary care physician should refer you to a hepatologist when you develop the following symptoms that last for a long time and become quite bothersome for you:
- persistent abdominal pain,
- abdominal swelling
- chronic fatigue,
- loss of appetite
- unintentional weight loss,
- dark or bloody urine
- bloody, pale or dark stools
- chronic diarrhea
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
- increased heart rate
- low-grade fever, with or without chills,
- swelling of the legs or ankles.
Usually, you will need a referral from your GP for a hepatologist. The results of a physical examination and blood test may warrant a referral to a hepatologist.
Your doctor may refer you to a hepatologist based on some of the symptoms you’re experiencing as well as your medical history or individual risk factors for liver disease.
Read: The hepatitis virus reduces the risk of cancer spreading to the liver
What diseases does the hepatologist treat?
Hepatitis affects millions of people worldwide and is associated with negative consequences, including liver transplantation and liver cancer. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C in particular are the leading causes of liver cancer, while alcohol abuse is associated with conditions such as cirrhosis and fatty liver disease.
More than two billion people have been infected with hepatitis B, and approximately 350 million people are carriers. Thanks to widespread vaccinations and blood tests, the incidence of hepatitis B has significantly decreased. However, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are responsible for up to 80% of liver cancer cases.
In addition to these types of hepatitis, the major medical conditions hepatologists struggle with include viral hepatitis and alcohol-related liver disease.
Some of the most common ailments that are assessed, diagnosed, and treated by a hepatologist include:
- liver disease associated with excessive alcohol consumption, including fatty liver, cirrhosis, and liver cancer
- viral hepatitis (hepatitis A, B, C and E),
- drug overdose, especially paracetamol
- jaundice,
- gastrointestinal bleeding due to portal hypertension associated with liver damage,
- enzymatic defects causing liver enlargement in children,
- some tropical infections, such as echinococcal cyst, leishmaniasis, or schistosomiasis
- liver transplant,
- liver cancer,
- genetic and metabolic liver disease
- inflammation of the pancreas, usually caused by alcohol consumption or gallstones
- damage to the pancreas or bile ducts from infection, cancer, alcohol, bleeding or obstruction.
What tests does a hepatologist perform?
The hepatologist performs tests to assess the health of the liver. Most often it is a basic or extended blood count (including liver tests – ALT, AST, GGTP, LDH, bilirubin, cholesterol, ammonia, ferritin, alkaline phosphatase) and abdominal ultrasound, as well as:
- viral serological tests, including HBsAG, anti-HCV, anti-HAV,
- genetic tests to confirm or rule out any of the diseases – Wilson’s disease, mutation in Gilbert’s syndrome,
- autoimmune tests, i.e. antinuclear antibodies,
- liver biopsy.
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