Who is a hepatologist? What does he do and the health conditions he can treat?
Who is a Hepatologist?
Punjab: Hepatologists are medical experts who diagnose, treat, and manage health issues linked to the gallbladder, bile ducts, liver, and pancreas. Consulting the best hepatologist at the liver hospital in Ludhiana will help you get the right type of treatment plan. If you are worried about your liver health, then look for the best liver doctors in Punjab.
All over the world, liver problems are on the rise with different health issues like hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty liver disease, and much more. The problems individuals face about these issues are crossing in millions. The number of cases diagnosed each year, clearly indicates that consulting the medical health expert is extremely essential.
What does a hepatologist do?
They will give the treatment to check the hepatic organ which is highly affected. They
will diagnose your condition and accordingly you will be given the treatment.
What about their Education and Training?
They have undergone medical school and completed advanced training with different certifications. The process of becoming the skilled is done through the following processes:
- 4 years in medical school to earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
- A 3- year residency in internal medicine
- A certification exam from the be board certified in gastroenterology
- A 3- year fellowship in gastroenterology and one-year advanced fellowship in transplant hepatology; or a 3-year joint fellowship in gastroenterology & transplant hepatology
- A certification exam from the American Board of Internal Medicine for transplant hepatology
What health issues can they treat?
Well! There is number of health issues for which they can provide you the treatment like:
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Liver Cancer
- Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
- Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
- Obesity
- Alcoholic Hepatitis
- Ascites
- Cirrhosis
- Hepatitis
- Hepatic Encephalopathy
- Primary Biliary Cholangitis
- Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
What are the reasons you need to see a hepatologist?
Your primary health care expert can refer you to a hepatologist. You need to consult one depending on your condition as the proper assessment is done by looking at the signs and symptoms. Some of them are nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL), cirrhosis, primary biliary cholangitis, hepatitis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and primary sclerosing cholangitis.
Abnormal liver function results
If the test results of your liver function are not normal, then it calls out for treatment. Through the blood tests, the doctor will check whether the proteins and enzymes are working or not. If the results are too low or high, it indicates there is an issue.
Symptoms of liver problem
Some of the major symptoms of the liver problem are:
- Sudden gastrointestinal bleeding
- Sudden bleeding from your upper GI tract (hemorrhage from liver cirrhosis). Cirrhosis scarring on the liver (the reason is hepatitis or chronic heavy drinking)
- Abnormal veins in your stomach and esophagus
- Jaundice (white part of the eye and skin becomes yellow)