Liver disease is known for being hard to detect in its early stages. That’s why Bay Area Gastroenterology Associates, LLC, is one of the few Tampa Bay area medical practices to conveniently offer the most advanced liver disease detection in their Trinity, Florida, office. FibroScan® is a safer, less invasive way to detect and monitor liver disease and is available as an outpatient procedure. Book your liver scan online now or call the office for help.
Liver disease isn’t just one condition: It’s any condition that causes harmful changes in your liver structure or function.Types include:
Hepatitis A, B, and C are viral infections featuring liver inflammation. Autoimmune hepatitis stems from immune system malfunction.
NAFLD happens when fat accumulates in your liver. It also features inflammation and liver damage.
AFLD is fatty liver that’s related to heavy alcohol use.
Hemochromatosis happens when iron levels grow so high that they damage the liver (and often other parts of the body).
Cirrhosis is liver scarring. It occurs when tough scar tissue overtakes functional, healthy tissue, disrupting the liver’s function. It can stem from NAFLD, AFLD, or hepatitis, but it takes around 10-20 years for viral hepatitis to turn into cirrhosis. Cirrhosis can lead to liver failure.
Liver disease is often severe. It causes two million deaths worldwide every year. Awareness of what it is and how it affects the body helps you be proactive about your liver health.
Liver disease might not cause any symptoms until it’s reached advanced stages. Possible symptoms are:
Don’t wait for symptoms. Your provider can help determine your liver disease risk level and recommend the appropriate screening schedule. This allows the earliest detection and treatment.
Liver disease diagnosis involves a health history, physical exam, blood tests, and other diagnostic approaches. Bay Area Gastroenterology Associates, LLC, uses the state-of-the-art FibroScan® system to evaluate your liver health.
FibroScan is a unique technology that just a handful of medical practices in the Tampa Bay area have access to. It checks liver stiffness (an indicator of whether you have fibrosis or scarring).
Measurements taken during the noninvasive scan can determine scarring severity. FibroScan can help diagnose disease and monitor changes as the disease progresses.
If you’re diagnosed with liver disease like hepatitis C, your specialist guides you through treatments, like antivirals, to help you protect your liver health and prevent the disease from getting worse.
No matter the type or stage of liver disease, medical approaches are available to help. Call the Bay Area Gastroenterology Associates, LLC, now or click online scheduling.