If you have been referred to a Spring TX liver specialist or seek a second opinion from a professional, trust Dr. James Maher. You can request an appointment with him, a board-certified gastroenterologist, at Katy Stomach Doctor, located in Spring, Texas.
Experiencing random symptoms can feel uncomfortable physically and emotionally. However, there can be many different causes of liver problems.
Therefore, only your doctor can give you a proper diagnosis, like a trusted Spring TX liver specialist or gastroenterologist. When you do not understand the source of your symptoms, seek the help of a specialist who will discuss your symptoms with you.
Why You Might Need A Spring TX Liver Specialist
The most common cause of liver disease used to be a virus, often causing Hepatitis. However, currently, there are effective treatment options for Hep C, and Hep B. Chronic cirrhosis of the liver is a long-term liver disease. Cirrhosis of the liver is usually the last stage of liver disease.
In the U.S, fatty liver is currently the most common cause of liver disease. Yet, what causes a fatty liver is mostly unclear. However, there is some evidence that other health issues are linked to liver disease, and fatty liver could make you more susceptible to developing them.
Health problems that possibly link to fatty liver disease are hypertension, heart disease, or high cholesterol. In addition, resistance to insulin and obesity are other health issues possibly related to fatty liver.
Fatty liver does not cause problems independently; however, it might mean you have a greater chance of developing other major health issues. Health issues you may potentially develop from a fatty liver include heart disease, hypertension, or diabetes.
Hepatitis C, reactions to certain drugs, alcohol, liver cancer, or hereditary diseases are all factors that can heighten your risk of liver disease. There are usually very few symptoms to indicate liver disease, but there are some subtle ones.
Symptoms and possible causes of liver disease
If you have fatty liver disease, you can experience mild fatigue. You might also feel slight abdominal pain, more specifically, pain in your upper right abdominal area.
Hep C affects millions of people in the U.S. It begins as a virus that spreads through your body and is usually undetected for several months. The virus which causes Hepatitis C spreads from person to person. Hep C spreads through bodily fluids, like:
- Sharing a drink with an infected person
- Having sex with someone infected with the virus
- Blood transfusion
- Sharing needles with an infected person
You might experience several common Hep C infection symptoms. Symptoms can be physical as well as emotional.
Physical symptoms to watch out for are abdominal pain, jaundice, leg swelling, fever, itchy skin, weight loss, and dark urine.
Emotional symptoms might include depression, fatigue, drowsiness, and poor appetite. But, of course, you should not focus on one or two symptoms but rather a combination of symptoms.
It is common to feel stressed, fatigued, or depressed at times. But these symptoms on their own do not necessarily indicate Hep C infection.
When To See A Liver Specialist
Diagnosing yourself can be risky and stressful when your thoughts get the better of you. Therefore, it is always a good idea to visit a Spring TX liver specialist if you feel like something isn’t right with your health.
In the best-case scenario, visiting your board-certified Spring TX liver specialist, Dr. James Maher, can rule out anything serious. A visit to the Katy Stomach Doctor clinic is the best-case scenario. This is because finding the correct diagnosis early and receiving treatment can save your life.
Fatty liver is most often diagnosed with abdominal ultrasound or a measurement of your liver’s density. Although this method is less common, another screening option to detect fatty liver is through a liver biopsy.
Unfortunately, blood tests are not available to test for fatty liver disease. However, your doctor can perform a special blood test to check for markers indicating inflammation.
Therefore, your doctor will need to test for other types of liver diseases first to rule them out. To diagnose fatty liver disease, your doctor may need to rule out other illnesses. For example, Hep C, Hep B, and Wilson’s disease all need to be ruled out.
Additionally, other tests may be necessary to measure alcohol levels or an adverse drug reaction in your body. Fortunately, Hepatitis C diagnosis requires a simple blood test to detect the Hep C virus in your system.
Board Certified Spring TX Liver Specialist Dr. James Maher
It is not surprising that your well-being depends on proper healthcare. So, when you are dealing with a potentially severe health issue such as liver disease, you need to see a professional. For example, you must seek the help of a specialist practitioner, like Dr. James Maher, board-certified liver and gastrointestinal tract expert.
The liver connects many organs in your body. Therefore, symptoms of discomfort in a seemingly random area might go unrecognized by a general practitioner as liver-related symptoms.
Often, intuition tells you when a little pain could be something serious. Your instinct functions to alert you to something needing your attention and therefore warrants consideration from a doctor. Most often, you know when to listen to your body.
So, if you think you might need to visit a Spring TX liver specialist, go with your gut instinct.
Katy Stomach Doctor James Maher M.D. is a board-certified gastroenterologist. A gastroenterologist specializes in health issues of the liver and the gastrointestinal tract.
Your gastrointestinal tract includes all the digestive system organs—additionally, the liver functions to process waste. Therefore, everything that goes through your digestive system will filter through your liver.
The liver gets rid of the extra stuff that your body does not want, but it stores the good things like vitamins and minerals, as well. If your liver cannot correctly work to rid your body of toxins and other excess waste, problems will inevitably surface as symptoms you experience.
Request A Consultation At Katy Stomach Doctor
Dr. James Maher has extensive knowledge through higher education, including going to university, then medical school, followed by a medical residency in California. Finally, he completed several years of fellowship in gastroenterology.
Additionally, Dr. James Maher stays up to date on the medical topics and current research in his field to provide excellent services. He holds a strong belief in learning and continuing education. The unique quality that sets Dr. Maher apart from the rest is his passion for education and, in turn, teaching patients about better health.
He believes educating his patients is vital to inspiring better health habits.
When often medical professionals give little weight to your hunches regarding your symptoms, Dr. James Maher listens and is considerate. When you visit your Katy Stomach Doctor, James Maher M.D., you will feel at ease in his presence. Your health is not an afterthought, so call to make an appointment with James Maher, M.D., Spring TX liver specialist, today.
Fun Facts about Spring, TX
- Spring dates back to the 1800s, then formed became Old Town Spring.
- Spring is considered a “tree city” with lots of green space and beautiful parks.
- The Orcoquisac indian tribe initially occupied the city of Spring before settlers arrived in the 1800s.