Why would my liver enzymes be high?

So, you went to the doctor for a routine check-up and found out that your liver enzymes are high. Well, isn’t that just the bee’s knees! Now you’re probably wondering why they would be high and what it means for your health.

Don’t worry, I’m here to help shine some light on this mysterious topic. First things first:

What Are Liver Enzymes?

Hold onto your socks, folks, because things are about to get technical. Liver enzymes refer to proteins produced in the liver that break down substances in the body. These include:

• Alanine transaminase (ALT)
• Aspartate transaminase (AST)
• Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
• Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)

Now don’t tune me out just yet (I see you yawning over there) because these little guys play an important role in maintaining our overall health.

Why Would They Be High?

Well, that’s the million-dollar question now isn’t it? There are several reasons why your liver enzymes may be elevated including but not limited to:

Medications

Some medications such as statins or acetaminophen can cause elevations in liver enzymes. So next time you pop one of those pills like candy, make sure to pay attention if it ends up making those numbers creep up.

Alcohol

Ah yes, everyone’s favorite pastime – drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis can definitely lead to increased levels of certain liver enzymes.

Fatty Liver Disease

This is obesity at its finest folks! When someone has fatty liver disease their organ becomes overloaded with fat cells which then leads to inflammation and elevated enzyme levels.

Hepatitis B & C

These viruses can cause chronic infections which result in constant inflammation leading once again to higher than normal enzyme levels.

Autoimmune Hepatitis

In simple terms, an autoimmune disease is when your body’s immune system attacks itself. What a fun time! This can also unfortunately lead to higher liver enzyme levels as the organ becomes inflamed from all that fun and excitement.

What Should I Do?

Well, if you made it this far into the article without running off for more coffee or something stronger then I commend you on being a true champ. Now let’s talk about what to do if those enzymes are just not behaving themselves:

Get Further Testing

More blood work may be necessary to get down to the root of why these liver enzymes are elevated.

Make Lifestyle Changes

Cutting back on alcohol or fatty foods is definitely no walk in the park but sometimes one must bear through it for some good ol’ healing.

Medications

Your doctor may prescribe medications specifically targeted at treating whatever medical condition is causing these pesky elevated enzymic numbers!

In Conclusion…

In conclusion folks – don’t panic too much because there could be several reasons behind the rise of your liver enzymes. The best step (I promise) would be speaking with your healthcare professional in order for them to guide you towards determining possible causes and treatment options available per case-by-case scenario. Always stay vigilant with regular check-ups so any future rises can hopefully be detected early enough before anything serious occurs.

And now, my friends, go out there passionately spreading scientifically-valid knowledge like never before, making our planet just that little bit better by doing so !