8 Signs of Liver Damage
Liver damage cases and fatalities are on the rise.
Liver pain and chronic fatigue are the two most common symptoms.
Talk to your doctor if you have any of these 8 signs of liver damage.
Liver disease is on the rise, and alcohol is not the only cause. According to Statista, 64,850 cases of liver cirrhosis with no ties to alcohol use emerged from 2015 to 2017. Meanwhile, alcohol-related cirrhosis cases occurred at a rate of 5.9 per 100,000 people for the same period. Like most health conditions, early detection is the key to a full and speedy recovery. So, how do you know if your liver pain or other symptoms is a sign of liver disease?
1. Pain in the Upper Right Abdomen
The body is a complex ecosystem of organisms. Consequently, even when you know liver pain location, several other types of living tissues and processes occurring in this area could account for the pain. Still, it’s worth pointing out that 82% of people with cirrhosis report pain.
So what does liver pain feel like? It manifests in different ways, but a common form is a dull throbbing. For some people, it occurs as a sharp, stabbing pain. Sometimes the pain migrates to other nearby areas, such as the right shoulder blade and the back.
2. Swelling in the Body
For some people, abdominal swelling accompanies abdominal pain. In other cases, the legs and ankles swell instead. This tends to result from the body retaining water in the abdomen or legs. In these cases, the spleen is also enlarged. Swelling almost always accompanies liver pain. Note that when you begin to have physical symptoms of liver disease, it may mean it has progressed to the later stage, known as decompensated cirrhosis.
An important fact to keep in mind is that swelling can result from other diseases. It is also not impossible to suffer from more than one. Consequently, a good doctor rules out other possibilities before determining liver disease as the sole cause. Here are some other potential causes:
Certain medication for diabetes and high blood pressure
Sitting or standing for long periods
High-salt intakes
Pregnancy or premenstrual symptoms for women
3. Jaundice
The yellowing of the skin and the sclera is one of the most alarming symptoms. Jaundice and liver pain can result from a number of illnesses. One possible reason is the blockage in a bile duct, but more often than not, it is a symptom of the liver breaking down red blood cells too quickly. It might also signal too much bilirubin in your blood waste.
Note that jaundice is fairly common in newborns because bilirubin levels tend to be high immediately after birth. Parents might notice jaundice within four days of the baby’s birth. Sometimes, jaundice in newborns is tied to breastfeeding. Depending on the cause, it may clear within two weeks or may last for several months.
4. Skin Conditions
When people develop liver disease and liver pain, the liver eventually reduces or stops the production of blood-clotting proteins. This and other factors can cause patients to report a wide range of skin conditions:
Spider-like blood vessels showing beneath the skin
Tendency to develop bruises easily
Red palms
Itchy skin
As with all other symptoms identified so far, doctors will need to rule out other potential causes. Diabetes, for example, is a common cause for these and similar symptoms.
5. Body Waste Abnormalities
Do you check the color of your stool or urine? The older you become, the more important this is. Liver disease can cause urine to darken significantly. Ironically, it also causes the lightening of stools. It is possible for one to occur without the other, so noticing just one for a prolonged period is a good enough reason to contact a doctor.
There are other potential reasons for liver pain and body waste abnormalities. These include sexually transmitted diseases, kidney disease, and overexertion. When liver disease is the cause, it is usually accompanied by the following symptoms:
Insomnia
Muscle weakness
Memory problems
Water retention
Jaundice
6. Chronic Fatigue
Scientists and medical practitioners are unsure why liver disease contributes to sleep problems or chronic fatigue, but one tends to feed the other. This symptom is tricky to use as a diagnosis because so many other things can lead to fatigue. However, it is the most common symptom associated with liver disease and liver pain. It can become so debilitating that people struggle to maintain a decent quality of life.
Mayo Clinic identifies four leading causes of chronic fatigue:
Physical or emotional trauma
Impaired immune systems
Hormonal imbalances
Viral infections
7. Loss of Appetite
Loss of appetite is a common cause of liver disease. It is especially likely if the person also has nausea and vomiting as symptoms. Not surprisingly, weight loss is a common result. The good news is that this is considered an early sign of liver disease.
High rates of obesity in America could disguise this symptom, at least initially, as a good thing. So, it’s important to follow up with your doctor as soon as possible. These are some additional factors that lead to loss of appetite:
Medication side effects
Stomach disorders
Stomach bug
Cold or flu
Anemia
Stress
8. Reproductive Complications
One of the most challenging and potentially embarrassing complications of liver disease and liver pain is how they can affect the reproductive symptoms of men and women. In women, it can lead to early menopause, which robs women who delayed starting a family of the opportunity to do so. This is yet another reason early detection is so important.
For men, it can manifest itself in more physically noticeable ways:
Testicular atrophy
Breast tissue growth
Disinterest in sexual activity
Erectile dysfunction (especially in alcohol-related cases)
Even with the most accurate information, diagnosing yourself over the internet is a dangerous game to play. Use these eight signs of liver damage only as talking points for your medical practitioner to address. At Doctors of Waikiki, we help our patients determine whether their liver pain is a sign of damage or something else. Schedule your appointment today.
Featured Image: OBprod/Shutterstock
Sources:
https://www.statista.com/topics/5130/liver-disease-in-the-us/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15572-cirrhosis-of-the-liver
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20360490
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325525#:~:text=As%20liver%20disease%20progresses%2C%20the,and%20yellowing%20eyes%20or%20skin.