Lisa O
Your liver is very important because it helps you digest food, store energy, and clean out bad stuff from your body. Different types of liver issues include hepatitis, fatty liver disease, liver cancer, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. Even though they have different symptoms, they all have a few things in common. Here are some signs and symptoms of liver disease that could mean your liver isn’t feeling its best!
Jaundice: Yellowing of the Skin and Eyes
Jaundice is when your skin and the whites of your eyes turn yellow because there’s too much bilirubin in your blood. What’s that? Bilirubin is a pigment in bile. When you pee, it can make your urine look darker. High bilirubin levels might happen because your liver cells are inflamed or something’s blocking the bile ducts. Jaundice is often the very first sign, and sometimes the only sign, that something’s up with your liver.
Cholestasis: Impaired Bile Flow
Cholestasis is when the movement of bile, which helps digest food, slows down or stops. It happens inside or outside the liver or both. Signs of cholestasis include yellow skin and eyes (jaundice), dark pee, and light-colored poop. People with cholestasis might also bleed easily, feel itchy, have a swollen belly from fluid buildup (ascites), feel chilly, and experience pain in the abdomen. Sometimes, the gallbladder can also get super big.
Liver Enlargement: Hepatomegaly
When your liver gets bigger, it’s often a sign that something’s not right with it, which is usually liver disease. Sometimes, a slightly bigger liver doesn’t cause any symptoms (we call it hepatomegaly). But if there’s an underlying medical issue causing it, you might notice some serious signs like yellow skin and eyes (jaundice) or muscle pains. If your liver gets much bigger, you might feel uncomfortable in your belly or feel super full.
Portal Hypertension: Increased Pressure in Liver’s Portal Vein
Portal hypertension means the blood pressure is too high in your portal vein. This can happen because of super high pressure in blood vessels or a block in blood flow through the liver. With portal hypertension, new blood vessels (called collaterals) can grow, directly connecting the blood flow from the intestine to the body’s circulation, skipping the liver. When this happens, things that the liver usually cleans out can go into the general circulation.
Bleeding Varices: Enlarged Veins in the Esophagus
Bleeding varices are when your food pipe or stomach starts bleeding. It’s caused by too much pressure building up in your liver, making the blood vessels swell and break open. Signs that you might be bleeding from varices include throwing up blood or having black sticky poop. So, if you notice any of these symptoms, getting help right away is super importa
Ascites: Abdominal Fluid Accumulation
Ascites are when fluid collects in your belly, causing it to become huge. This happens because there’s too much pressure in the liver. A big belly can make eating uncomfortable because you always feel full, and breathing might be hard, especially when lying down. Some people with ascites may not get all the nutrients their body needs. If you have ascites and suddenly feel stomach pain with a fever, get urgent medical help.
Liver Encephalopathy: Brain Dysfunction Due to Liver Failure
Encephalopathy happens when toxins build up in your brain. If your liver can’t clean out these toxins, they stay in your blood and travel to your brain. Early signs of this nasty disease include mood swings, trouble focusing or remembering things, different sleep patterns, and sometimes, flapping hands. And guess what? You might also have difficulty with writing, doing math, and feel easily irritated.
Liver Cancer: Malignant Growth in the Live
Liver cancer happens when cancer cells start growing in the liver. The most common type in adults is called hepatocellular carcinoma. It’s also the third most common cause of cancer deaths globally. Usually, symptoms show up as the cancer gets worse. So look out for signs like pain in the upper right side of your belly, yellow skin or eyes, feeling very tired, losing weight without trying, light-colored poop, dark pee, and having a fever.
Fatty Liver Disease: Fat Buildup In Liver Cells
Ever heard of fatty liver disease? It’s when your liver gathers too much fat, and there are two types: one without alcohol involved (called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) and one that’s because of drinking too much (alcoholic fatty liver disease). Interestingly, these conditions often don’t give you any signs that something’s up. If you do start feeling the effects of fatty liver disease, you might notice pain in your belly or feel super tired.
Liver Failure: Loss of Liver Function
Liver failure happens when the liver doesn’t do its job right because a chunk of it is badly damaged. Signs can be yellow skin and eyes, bruises or bleeding easily, a big belly, feeling really sick, extreme tiredness, not feeling hungry, and having diarrhea. It’s super important to notice these signs early so you can get fast help from a doctor.