Elevated Liver Enzymes In Children

The liver is considered to be the biggest organ in the body, and has been assigned the task to perform a number of functions. One of the important liver function is to manufacture liver enzymes, which are proteins that help the body to carry out certain chemical reactions at a quicker rate. Usually these enzymes reside in the liver but are also found in small amounts in the bloodstream. When the liver gets damaged, its ability to hold these liver enzymes reduces. As a result, the concentration of these enzymes in the liver decreases. This happens because the liver releases its enzymes into the bloodstream in large amounts. A blood test can reveal whether liver enzyme levels are abnormally high in the bloodstream.

The blood test to measure liver enzymes, is also referred as liver function test. This is because, considering the amount of liver enzymes in the blood, the doctor can get an idea about how efficiently the liver is functioning. Even slightly elevated liver enzymes in children could mean that liver is not healthy. However, when the liver enzymes are slightly higher than normal, the child may not show any visible symptoms. Health issues are experienced only when the concentration of liver enzymes in the blood deviates substantially from the normal range. Elevated liver enzymes symptoms include loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, extreme tiredness and nausea.

Causes

Liver Infections
Liver falling prey to viral infections can also lead to excess production of liver enzymes, depending upon how severe is the infection. The hepatitis virus is the one that attacks the liver and causes abnormal build up of these enzymes in blood. Hepatitis A, B and C are the strains of this virus that makes the liver inflamed. Having unhygienic food or water is the primary reason behind catching this viral infection.

Liver Diseases
Liver disorder and enlarged liver in children is yet another factor that causes abnormal liver enzymes in children. Children suffering from diseases such as liver cancer or liver cirrhosis have been diagnosed with elevated liver enzymes.

Unhealthy Diet
An increasing number of children worldwide have developed a liking for fast foods like hamburgers, pizzas and French fries. All these food items are loaded in unhealthy fats and so too much consumption cannot be tolerated by the liver. The liver has to work harder to promote digestion of these fatty foods. This workload can damage the liver, thus forcing it to expel the enzymes in abnormally high amounts into the blood stream.

Pain Relievers
Although pain killers help to alleviate the discomfort, they can become problematic if they are given in higher doses to children. Studies have proved that children taking high strength tablets of acetaminophen or ibuprofen show elevated liver enzymes.

Vitamins
An unhealthy diet can also contribute to vitamin deficiency in children. In such cases, to overcome this problem, doctor often prescribe multivitamin supplements for children. However, these supplements have to be given in the right dosage as instructed by the doctor. If this is not followed, it can affect the liver and eventually lead to, too much of liver enzymes in blood.

Household Chemicals
Many of the household chemicals and products that we use to clean our home contain harmful ingredients. So, if children accidentally inhale or consume these ingredients, liver damage occurs. In such cases, the damaged liver is likely send more liver enzymes into the bloodstream.

As aforementioned, if the liver enzymes are slightly higher than normal, symptoms are usually not observed in children. Hypothyroidism can also lead to fluctuations in liver enzyme levels that is well above the normal range. So, the doctor has to first evaluate the patient's condition before coming to any diagnosis. Abnormally high liver enzymes that point towards liver diseases or infections will require the necessary medical treatment to resolve the issue.