Introduction:
If you have trouble sleeping, sluggishness, jaundice, or loss of appetite, it is a good idea to find out if your liver is damaged. You can do this by having a blood test or ultrasound scan to check for fatty deposits in the liver and cirrhosis of the liver.
When someone has cirrhosis of the liver, the bile ducts are damaged. What does that mean? It means that your liver has been scarred from all of the damage. When you see an image of a 3D color-coded liver scan, this is what that looks like.
Confusion
When you have cirrhosis, it’s not always obvious. It can be hard to tell when your symptoms are caused by cirrhosis, and it’s possible to have cirrhosis without having any symptoms at all. There are also no specific tests that can confirm cirrhosis.
Some people have symptoms of cirrhosis, while others — especially those who don’t drink — may not. If you do have symptoms and they aren’t improving, talk with your doctor about them so he can rule out other conditions that could be causing them. Your doctor will want to know about any changes in your liver function tests or blood tests related to the condition.
Fatigue
Fatigue is a symptom of many diseases, but it is most common in people with liver disease. People who have chronic fatigue may be exhausted all the time, even when they are getting enough sleep. This can make it hard to do your job or take care of your family.
Fatigue may also happen when you're under stress. For example, if you're dealing with a serious illness, this can make it hard to do your job or take care of your family.
Signs and symptoms of fatigue include:
Sleep problems. You may have trouble falling asleep at night and staying asleep throughout the night. Or you might wake up too often during the night or early morning hours.
Tiredness throughout the day. You feel drained after even short periods of activity and may have difficulty concentrating or remembering things like names or phone numbers.
Headaches don't go away after a few days, even if you get enough rest or sleep. Chronic headaches are usually caused by dehydration from not drinking enough fluids (see below).
Pain in the abdomen (abdominal bloating), nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (stools). These could be signs that you have an infection.
Fatigue is a common symptom of liver damage. You may feel exhausted and have little energy, or you may not feel well at all. If you're sleeping more than usual and don't feel like yourself, it's important to talk to your doctor about your symptoms.
Other symptoms of liver damage include:
jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
dark urine or pale stools that look like sand
sore mouth or tongue
poor appetite
Skin and eye color changes
This is the easiest way to know if your liver is damaged. If your skin and eyes are red, you could have a serious problem with your liver. But don't panic! This change in color is caused by a lack of oxygen, which can happen when your liver becomes inflamed or filled with fat. When this happens, it's called jaundice.
If you've had yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, it may be time for a checkup with your doctor. However, if there is no reason for concern and these symptoms disappear after a few days, they don't need to be checked further.
Yellowing of the skin and eyes are common signs that your liver is damaged. Yellowing of the skin may be caused by hemorrhaging or bleeding in the liver. The yellowing may also be caused by jaundice, which is the buildup of bile in your body due to a damaged or diseased liver. Jaundice can be caused by hepatitis, cirrhosis, or other conditions.
The yellow color of your eyes may be a sign that you have cirrhosis. This occurs when too much fat collects in your blood vessels and can lead to blindness. If you have cirrhosis, you may also experience vision problems such as blurred vision, eye pain or redness, or dry eye syndrome (a condition caused by dry eyes).
Swelling in your legs and abdomen
Swelling of your legs and abdomen is often a sign of liver damage. This swelling occurs because the liver stops working properly, and it cannot produce enough proteins to help your body repair itself. The protein shortage can cause a build-up of fluid in the tissues and organs.
In addition to the swelling, you may feel tired and weak, but your overall health will not be affected. If you have pain in your abdomen or back, this could be the result of inflammation due to liver damage.
Liver damage can cause swelling in your legs and abdomen. This is known as ascites (pronounced a-sits) or pleural effusion (pronounced plee-ooh-uhl).
Ascites occur when there is too much fluid in the abdomen. Causes include cirrhosis, hepatitis C infection, and chronic alcoholism.
Pleural effusion occurs when excess fluid collects around the lungs. Causes include cirrhosis and pulmonary tuberculosis.
Yellowing of the skin and whites of your eyes
If you have yellowing of the skin and whites of your eyes, you may have liver damage. Your doctor will check your liver function to see if it's functioning properly. You may also need a blood test to check how much bilirubin is in your system.
If you're diagnosed with cirrhosis, your doctor will prescribe medications to help control symptoms and prevent complications such as liver failure and liver damage.
The most common symptom of liver damage is the yellowing of the skin and whites of your eyes.
This is caused by bilirubin, a compound that is produced when the liver processes bile acids (which are made in your gallbladder) into other substances.
Bilirubin can be filtered by the kidneys but some may enter the bloodstream and be absorbed into the body.
Bile acids can also cause itching, inflammation, and pain in your abdomen.
Conclusion:
The liver is an important organ in our bodies that does a ton of work to keep us going every day. Unfortunately, your liver can experience many types of damage, and some of this damage can be long-term or even permanent. However, there are additional steps you can take to ensure the best health for your liver. By taking the time to learn about symptoms and treatments you can live a longer, healthier, and happier life.
Minor liver damage that heals itself will not cause lasting liver damage. The risk of cirrhosis increases with the increasing severity of the damage and whether it is repeated. Treating alcohol-related damage can be complicated, but even if you can't totally cure the problem, you can often lower your risk of being more seriously ill later on.