By Dr Ananya Mandal, MD There are multiple causes of liver
disease. While some are infective, some are genetic or
autoimmune and some metabolic. This makes diagnosis difficult
and often there are a battery of tests that need to be performed
in order to correctly diagnose the underlying cause for the
disease. Patients who develop signs of liver disease even
nonspecific ones like weakness, fatigue and nausea need to seek
medical advice if their symptoms are not otherwise explained.
Fever, jaundice, pain over the right upper part of the liver
should prompt medical attention. History and physical
examination Diagnosis of liver disease is based on initial
history and physical examination. History of previous illness,
drug or alcohol intake, family history of liver disease needs to
be evaluated in detail. History of contaminated blood
transfusion, unprotected sexual intercourse or sharing
contaminated needles can raise suspicion of a chronic infective
liver disease with viruses like Hepatitis B or C. On physical ex