Liver Health Examinations: FibroScan® at Natural Health Center
Natural Health Center has an in-house FibroScan® device available to our patients! FibroScan® is a non-invasive diagnostic device used to measure the health of your liver quickly, easily and painlessly. It is an effective alternative to the traditional liver biopsy testing, and provides our family nurse practitioners and naturopathic doctors with valuable information about the health of your liver.
The technology behind liver testing
FibroScan® utilizes advanced ultrasound technology, also known as “transient elastography,” that sends a small pulse of energy to your liver using a gentle probe. The goal is to measure the speed at which the waves travel through your liver.
· Waves move more slowly through healthy liver tissue.
· Waves travel faster through stiffer liver tissue.
Liver health testing is important as it can help identify liver scarring or fibrosis caused by various liver diseases.
The FibroScan® process
The quick and painless FibroScan® procedure only lasts around 5-10 minutes, with appointment times averaging around 30 minutes.
During the exam, performed by one of our specially trained medical assistants, family nurse practitioners or naturopathic doctors, you will lie on your back, a gel will be applied to your skin and a probe will be gently placed between your rib spaces. You may feel a slight vibration from the probe as measurements are taken, but the procedure is completely painless.
Your results will be available immediately after the exam, and your provider will discuss any appropriate treatment recommendations with you and answer any questions you may have.
Importance of liver health
The liver, located in the upper-right side of the abdomen, is one of the largest and hardest working organs in the body. It is responsible for:
1. Cleaning the blood
2. Production of bile, an important digestive liquid
3. Storing energy in the form of glycogen
Types of liver disease
Fatty liver is currently the biggest cause of chronic liver disease, and 1 in 3 people over the age of 40 have a fatty liver.
Fatty liver is associated with a host of diseases including prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, insulin resistance, blood lipid disorders, sleep apnea, polycystic ovary syndrome and hypothyroidism.
Diabetes is another contributing factor to liver disease, as 76 percent of patients with Type 2 diabetes have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and 18 percent of patients with Type 2 diabetes have advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis.
Symptoms of liver disease
Liver disease is often silent, meaning there are very few noticeable symptoms. This makes it very important to talk to your health care provider about having your liver health tested, especially if you are at higher risk. Risk factors include:
· Drinking soft drinks regularly
· Consuming 2 or more alcoholic drinks daily
· Eating sweets or processed foods often
· Having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher
· Suffering from Type 2 diabetes, hypertension or hypercholesterolemia
The good news
The good news is that early diagnosis and intervention can often reverse damage to the liver caused by chronic liver disease! If you are concerned about your liver health, or would like to learn more about liver health testing at Natural Health Center, please get in touch.