Towards a healthy liver

October 2007     View PDF     En español

Keep up with your health care

Many people don’t know they have liver disease. You can get tested by your doctor to find out if your liver is working properly. Talk to your doctor if you think you have any risk factors for liver disease.

Talking to your doctor about your liver health can go a long way in keeping it healthy. Make sure you get regular check-ups and blood work done. Liver function tests will check for abnormal levels of different chemicals in your body. These will show whether your liver is working well or if there’s an infection or other problem that needs to be addressed. It can be useful to keep track of your test results over time as well.

If you have chronic liver disease, like hepatitis B or C, there are specialists who can help you. These include a liver specialist called a hepatologist or a digestive system specialist called a gastroenterologist. Some primary care doctors and infectious disease specialists may also help. Depending upon your level of disease, you may also want to consider using a medical team for treatment. Seek out these sources through your health care plan or ask for referrals from your doctor or local health care organization.

Other conditions you have, like diabetes, may affect how well your liver works. Treating these other conditions properly will help your body in general and also help support your liver to work as well as it can.