Elevated Liver Enzymes: Causes and Symptoms

liver

Elevated liver enzymes may indicate inflammation or damage to cells in the liver. Inflamed or injured liver cells leak greater than typical amounts of particular chemicals, including liver enzymes, into the blood stream, which can lead to elevated liver enzymes on blood tests.

The particular elevated liver enzymes most commonly found are:

  • Alanine transaminase (ALT)
  • Aspartate transaminase (AST)

Elevated liver enzymes may be discovered during routine blood screening. For the most parts, liver enzyme levels are only mildly and temporarily elevated. The majority of the time, elevated liver enzymes don’t signify a chronic, serious liver issue.

Causes of Elevated Liver Enzymes

Many illness and conditions can add to elevated liver enzymes. Your doctor identifies the specific cause of your elevated liver enzymes by examining your medications, your symptoms and signs and, in some cases, other tests and procedures.

Information verified by the iytmed.com team.

More common causes of elevated liver enzymes include:

Elevated Liver Enzymes
The greatest concentration of alanine aminotransferase, sometimes called ALT or often SGPT and aspartate aminotransferase, also called AST or SGOT occurs in the liver. Issue to the liver cells causes ALT and AST to leak into the bloodstream. Normal levels of ALT variety from 7 systems to 56 units per liter, while normal levels of AST range from 5 units to 40 U/L, according to the Lab Tests Online site. Several types of liver disease cause elevated liver enzymes.

Other causes of elevated liver enzymes may include:

  • Alcoholic liver disease (severe liver inflammation caused by excessive alcohol intake).
  • Autoimmune hepatitis (liver inflammation caused by an autoimmune disorder).
  • Celiac disease (small intestine damage caused by gluten).
  • Cirrhosis (early stages of liver scarring).
  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.
  • Dermatomyositis (inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness and skin rash).
  • Epstein-Barr infection.
  • Gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis).
  • Heart attack.
  • Hemochromatosis (too much iron kept in your body).
  • Hypothyroidism.
  • Liver cancer.
  • Mononucleosis.
  • Pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation).
  • Polymyositis (inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness).
  • Toxic hepatitis (liver inflammation caused by drugs or toxins).
  • Wilson’s disease (excessive copper stored in your body).

Causes shown here are typically related to this symptom. Work with your doctor or other healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis.

Signs & Symptoms

A medical practitioner observes signs of a disease procedure. Signs that accompany elevated liver enzymes depend on the disease, however can include jaundice, a yellowish tint to the skin and whites of the eyes, dark colored urine, clay-colored stools, fluid build-up in the abdomen called ascites, intestinal tract bleeding, low-grade fever or weight loss. The liver and spleen might feel bigger than regular.

People with elevated liver enzymes may not have any symptoms when it comes to NASH, early alcoholic liver disease or chronic liver disease B or C. If acute liver disease causes elevated liver enzymes, symptoms may include fatigue, queasiness, vomiting, upper right quadrant abdominal pain and inflammation, loss of libido, mental changes or itching.

Reyus Mammadli

As a healthy lifestyle advisor I try to guide individuals in becoming more aware of living well and healthy through a series of proactive and preventive measures, disease prevention steps, recovery after illness or medical procedures.

Education: Bachelor Degree of Medical Equipment and Electronics.

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