Hepatology

Hepatology

A hepatologist is a specialist in the branch of medicine called Hepatology, which includes the study of body parts such as the liver, the biliary tree, the gallbladder and the pancreas. A hepatologist manages disorders in these areas. Hepatology was traditionally a subspecialty of gastroenterology, but recent advances in the understanding of this subspecialty have made it a field of its own. Hepatologists deal most frequently with viral hepatitis and diseases related to alcohol. Hepatitis impacts millions of people worldwide and has been associated with a number of outcomes including Chronic disease, Cirrhosis occasionally, liver cancer. Particularly, hepatitis B and hepatitis C may cause liver cancers.

Fatty liver is rising nowadays owing to the lifestyle adaptions of todays generation secondary to excess unmanaged stress, junk good overuse, irregular meal timings and composition, lack of proper physical exercise in most cases, also late awakening and overeating, dietary restrictions are not followed always and hence even Non Alcoholic Metabolic Dysfunction related Fatty Liver(Steatotic Liver) Disease is rising. This needs to be tested and managed early to prevent or delay the progression of Fibrosis of liver so that cirrhosis might be prevented from occuring in these individuals

Some of the most common ailments that are assessed, diagnosed and managed by a hepatologist include:

• Diseases of the liver related to excess alcohol consumption, including fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

• Viral hepatitis infections (hepatitis A, B, C and E). Over two billion individuals have been infected with hepatitis B at some point and around 350 million people are persistent carriers. With widespread vaccination and blood screening, the incidence of hepatitis B has significantly decreased.

• Drug overdose, particularly paracetamol overdose

• Jaundice

• Gastrointestinal bleeding caused by portal hypertension linked to liver injury

• Enzyme defects causing liver enlargement in children, also known of as liver storage diseases.

• Some tropical infections such as hydatid cyst, kala-azar or schistosomiasis.

• Liver transplantation

• Liver cancer

• Pancreatitis, usually when caused by alcohol consumption or gallstones

• Drug metabolism

• Damage to the pancreas or biliary tract caused by infection, cancer, alcohol, bleeding or obstruction.