Liver Function Test: How It Works & When to Get One

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Do you often feel bloated after meals? Or find yourself tired even after getting enough rest? Then these could be your liver’s way of sending you a warning. Liver diseases are surprisingly common in India. But the good news is that many of them can be reversed with corrective measures if detected early. And that’s where a Liver Function Test (LFT) comes in.

LFT is a simple blood test that checks for abnormal levels of liver enzymes. Higher-than-normal levels may point to issues like fatty liver.¹

So, should you be considering this test? And where can you get one? In this blog, we’ll uncover these answers and more. Let’s dive in.

Liver Function Test (LFT): Explained

As the name suggests, a liver function test is performed to assess liver function. It’s a simple blood test that looks at various enzymes, proteins and byproducts produced by the liver. Here are the most common markers looked at in a liver function test.

Bilirubin - Total Serum
Bilirubin - Direct Serum
Bilirubin - Indirect Serum
SGOT Serum
SGPT Serum
Alkaline Phosphatase Serum
GGT (Gamma Glutamyl Transferase) Serum
Protein Total Serum
Albumin Serum
Globulin Serum
Albumin: Globulin Ratio Serum

When Should You Get a Liver Test Done?

A liver test should be done under the following circumstances: ²

Tracking your overall liver health.
In case of a liver disorder such as hepatitis.
To check how a liver disorder is responding to treatment.
Assess if certain medications are causing any liver damage.

Common Symptoms that Indicate Liver Problems

The problem with liver disease symptoms is that they are mostly silent without any signs. When there are symptoms, they include:

Jaundice or visible yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes.
Belly pain and swelling.
Swelling in the legs and ankles.
Itchy skin.
Dark coloured urine.
Pale stool.
Persistent fatigue.
Nausea or vomiting.
Appetite loss.
Easy bruising.

Ignoring Liver Problems: Know Your Risks

If you’ve been sidelining the warning signs your liver has been sending you, you could be at risk of the following: ³

1. More Complications

An untreated liver disorder can give rise to several complications, like uncontrollable bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy (brain dysfunction), kidney failure, and fluid in the abdomen. These also make the condition harder to treat.

2. Liver Failure

Ignoring your liver disorders, such as a fatty liver disease, could advance to fibrosis or cirrhosis (irreversible), leading to liver failure in severe cases.

3. Poor Quality of Life

An untreated liver condition can affect you physically, mentally and even financially. And these could significantly bring down the quality of life.

How to Maintain Liver Health Naturally

For a healthy liver, adopt the following practices: ⁴

1. Stop Drinking Alcoholic Beverages

What may seem like an occasional cheer can be one of your liver’s worst enemies. According to research, even moderate drinking can cause your liver to scar.

2. Prevent Hepatitis

Get yourself and your family vaccinated. Practice good hand hygiene and safe sex in order to prevent hepatitis transmission.

3. Get Your Diet & Exercise Right

A healthy and well-balanced diet & exercise are the key to good liver health. Not taking care of these habits can be detrimental to liver health. Also, ensure to thoroughly wash your food items like veggies and fruits, before consuming them to get rid of toxins like pesticides on them. Moreover, do not consume any medications or supplements before discussing their possible side effects with your doctor.

4. Get Yourself Tested

A simple liver function test can spot issues early, before things take a serious turn. So take it to your advantage and get yourself routinely tested.

How to Get a Liver Function Test Done at Home?

It’s now quite simple to book a liver function test from your home. You can opt for our Liver Function Test Panel, which includes 11 parameters to determine your liver health.

To book it online, simply visit our website www.lifecell.in and click on health check. Next, you can select the Liver Function Test and check it out after adding it to your cart.

If you still have questions, feel free to reach out to us at 18002665533.

Summing Up

Your liver works day in and day out, protecting your body without much recognition. A simple liver function test can shine a light on how well it’s doing, helping you catch issues early before things escalate and your health deteriorates. And prioritising this small step today could make a big difference in ensuring that your liver stays in good shape for years to come.

FAQs

1. How Do I Know if My Liver Is at Risk?

Persistent fatigue, yellowish eyes or skin, frequent bloating, unexplained weight changes, or dark urine can be early red flags of liver damage.

2. What Is the First Stage of Liver Damage?

The earliest stage of a liver disorder or damage is fatty liver, when excess fat builds up in the liver. In most cases, it’s silent and symptom-free, which is why many people don’t even know they have it. But caught early, fatty liver can be reversed with healthy eating, regular exercise, and lifestyle changes.

3. How to Check Liver Function at Home?

The only reliable way to know your liver function at home is with a liver function test. It’s a simple blood test you can book from home with a reputable diagnostics provider that offers hassle-free doorstep sample collection.

4. What Are SGOT and SGPT in a Liver Function Test?

SGOT (AST) and SGPT (ALT) are enzymes found in your liver. When the liver is healthy, these enzymes stay mostly inside liver cells. But if your liver is inflamed or damaged, they leak into your blood, and their levels rise in a liver function test.