Liver Disease

Liver disease often develops for years before causing symptoms, leading to severe organ damage. If you develop signs of liver disease, contact Wake Endoscopy’s office in Raleigh, Wake Forest, Cary, Clayton, or Wilson, North Carolina, without delay. The practice’s experienced gastroenterology team excels at diagnosing and treating liver disease using the most advanced techniques. Call the nearest Wake Endoscopy office to arrange an evaluation, or book an appointment online today.

What is liver disease?

Liver disease takes several forms. Common ones include:

• Fatty liver disease/Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
• Liver cancer
• Hepatitis 
• Cirrhosis 

Liver disease causes fibrosis (scarring) that reduces blood flow and affects your liver’s ability to work properly. Fat deposits caused by fatty liver diseases can build up, causing cell death and fibrosis.

The liver is an exceptionally resilient organ that keeps working even when damaged. It can take years for these diseases to cause symptoms serious enough to visit your doctor. By this time, the damage may be severe and irreversible. Liver failure can be fatal, so getting a timely, accurate diagnosis is vital.

How is liver disease diagnosed?

Your provider might suspect liver disease if you have certain symptoms, such as:

• Itchy skin
• Pale-colored stools
• Chronic fatigue
• Abdominal swelling
• Swollen ankles
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Jaundice

Jaundice is the most obvious liver disease symptom. It causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to develop a yellowish tinge.

To assess you for liver disease, your doctor completes an exam, checks your medical history, and discusses your lifestyle. This is important because liver disease has close links to unhealthy habits like excessive alcohol consumption.

Your provider might also take a blood sample for lab testing to check liver and other organ function. Imaging procedures such as a CT scan or MRI might also be necessary.

Wake Endoscopy specializes in using FibroScan® liver elastography to evaluate the liver. FibroScan is an ultrasound imaging procedure that checks for scarring or fibrosis in the liver. FibroScan also measures fat deposits in your liver cells to diagnose fatty liver diseases. It’s a noninvasive, painless test that requires no sedation.

How is liver disease treated?

Treating liver disease effectively depends on an accurate diagnosis and your specific disease. Conditions like NAFLD respond to dietary and lifestyle changes, especially in the early stages.

Quitting drinking is vital if you have an alcohol-related liver disease. Some forms of hepatitis infection are treatable with medication. 

Advanced liver disease is often incurable. An organ transplant is the only option for patients with the most severe liver disease.

Call Wake Endoscopy to learn more about diagnosing and treating liver disease, or book an appointment online today.