The liver is one of the most important organs of the human body. It’s located under the rib cage on the right side of the body. It’s responsible for flushing out toxins from your body and aids in food digestion. It’s a sensitive organ and once it gets damaged, it’s almost irreversible. Disease of the liver can be acquired through several factors like alcohol abuse, virus, and genes. Liver damage oftentimes comes with no symptoms except when it has reached a severe stage. Nevertheless, you should still watch out for these symptoms;
- Abdominal Pain
When the liver starts to malfunction, there will be pain in your abdomen especially on the right side and it won’t just go away.
2. Jaundice
This is one of the most common symptoms; the skin, tongue, fingertips and even the eyes turns yellowish in color. This is due to the increase of bilirubin in the body tissue and boloodstream. Bilirubin is the build-up of old red blood cells inside the liver are broken down.
3. Lack of Appetite
This happens because there is a deficiency in bile production and since this is responsible for digestion so once there isn’t enough of it, the appetite will be affected.
4. Urine Color
Your urine becomes dark because there is an elevated level of bilirubin in your bloodstream which the liver can’t flush out and because of this; it is excreted through the kidneys.
5. Nausea and Vomiting
These are one of the early symptoms of the disease and this may occur because the liver’s function to get rid of body toxins has decreased.
6. Abdominal Changes
Be on guard when you feel cramping and pain in the lower abdomen or if there is an unusual feeling of being bloated even if you didn’t eat much. It may mean that are experiencing liver damage. It may also mean that you have ascites which is one of the early symptoms of the disease; this means that there is a build up of fluid in the abdominal cavity.
7. Fluid Retention
This is another common sign of damage. Check your feet and ankles for fluid retention. It’s a bit similar to ascites but the difference is the fluid builds up in outer tissues in the lower part of the body.
8. Intestinal Bleeding
The liver does clotting factors and if it isn’t capable of doing that anymore, there will be bleeding in the intestines that are related to constipation and diarrhea.
9. Skin Itching
Skin gets more sensitive when there’s a problem in your liver. It may become sensitive even to touch and your veins will become more visible. Aside from this, you may bruise easily.
10. Hormonal Imbalance
This may be associated with women but when there is liver damage; men can experience this too and may result in some serious conditions like the loss of their libido and breast enlargement.
11. Unusual Feeling of Tiredness
If you feel unusually tired even if you’re not doing anything strenuous, it’s time for a liver check. When there is damage, the liver works harder and you will have to rest more because it can’t flush out the toxins in your bloodstream.
12. Changes in Stool Coloration
The color of your stool will change when there’s a problem in your liver because it can’t produce a sufficient amount of bile. Bile is the fluid that aids in the digestion of lipids in your small intestines.
Remember this; if you feel one or more symptoms, go see your doctor at once. You may be suffering from liver disease and it should be treated at once especially if it’s at an early stage to prevent further damage. This might save your life.
