What does it mean when your ALT is high?
What does it mean when your ALT is high?
High levels of ALT may indicate liver damage from hepatitis, infection, cirrhosis, liver cancer, or other liver diseases. Other factors, including medicines, can affect your results. Be sure to tell your health care provider about all the prescription and over-the counter medicines you are taking.
What causes a sudden increase in ALT?
High levels of ALT can be a result of damage or injury to cells. Because ALT is most concentrated in the liver, abnormal ALT test results are generally associated with conditions affecting the liver, such as inflammation (hepatitis) and scarring (cirrhosis).
What are the side effects of high ALT?
People with mild to moderate elevations of AST and ALT may have no symptoms or mild systemic symptoms. These may include malaise, fatigue, fever, poor appetite, abdominal pain, jaundice (yellowing of skin), itching, nausea, or vomiting.
What causes an increase in Alt?
When ALT levels rise, it is usually a clear sign that the liver cells are showing signs of damage. One of the biggest causes of raised ALT levels is fat in the liver, usually caused by drinking too much alcohol too frequently and/or eating a diet that is high in saturated fat.
What causes elevated ALT levels?
High levels of ALT may be caused by: Liver damage from conditions such as hepatitis or cirrhosis. Lead poisoning. Very strenuous exercise or severe injury to a muscle. Exposure to carbon tetrachloride. Decay of a large tumor (necrosis).
What are symptoms of elevated ALT?
Patients experiencing elevation of AST or ALT are mostlikely to see some yellowing of the skin, eyes and mucous membranes in themouth, as the signs of jaundice . This condition is often connected totiredness, abdominal pains, weakness and changed color of urine.
What does increased ALT level mean?
An increased ALT level is often a sign of liver disease. Liver disease is even more likely when the levels of substances checked by other liver blood tests have also increased.