As the largest organ in your body, your liver is responsible for eliminating toxins, digesting food, and storing energy. At Southwest Gastroenterology in Goodyear, Arizona, patients with liver disease can get expert treatment from physicians skilled in treating conditions affecting the gastrointestinal organs. Liver disease can be fatal if left untreated; book an appointment today and begin your journey to recovery.
Liver disease happens when the organ no longer functions correctly.
Your liver plays a significant role in keeping your body healthy. If it’s continuously overworked or damaged from toxic exposure, obesity, or other factors, scarring, damage, and inflammation can develop.
A variety of illnesses, lifestyle choices, and other factors can cause liver disease. These include:
Liver disease can also develop if you have specific autoimmune conditions, like autoimmune hepatitis or primary sclerosing cholangitis.
When the liver is damaged, this creates scarring, called cirrhosis, which can cause complete liver failure if left untreated.
Liver disease can trigger different symptoms, depending on the cause. Some common symptoms are:
If you have liver disease, you might also experience pale stool, dark urine, or a tendency to bruise easily.
The cause of liver disease determines its treatment. In some cases, lifestyle modifications can be enough to repair liver damage, such as weight loss or ceasing alcohol use.
In other cases, you might need specific medications to help the liver restore its function and support the entire gastrointestinal tract. If liver damage is severe, some patients require a liver transplant.
Your physician at Southwest Gastroenterology develops a plan tailored to your needs, which most likely includes close monitoring of your liver function.
If you’re concerned you might have liver disease, book an appointment today using the simple online scheduling tool.
