The liver is a powerful as well as important organ in the human body. It performs hundreds plus critical functions, including:
Regulating blood sugar
Manufacturing of proteins
Breaking down fats
Removing poisons from the system
It also produces bile which helps in digesting fat.
Filter toxins from the blood
If our liver fails to work properly it influences our overall health. We therefore need to know about symptoms of liver disease, how you can prevent liver disease and how to reach out for medical support?
Common Symptoms Of Liver Disease
Liver disease can present in various ways, which may differ depending on severity and cause. Some common symptoms, however, include:
Weakness and Fatigue: This is one of the symptoms that are very common among individuals suffering from liver diseases, whereby one can feel extremely tired and weak without explanation. The fatigue and weakness in the case of a liver disease are so persistent that they don’t go away with rest and make you feel a sense of tiredness throughout the day.
Loss of Appetite: In case of a problem with your liver, your appetite will be lost too. If you are not feeling hungry, even if you have not eaten anything for a long time or don’t want to eat, even if your favourite dish comes in front of you, it can be a major sign of a serious liver issue.
Regular Nausea or Vomiting: experiencing digestive issues such as nausea or vomiting is another very common symptom that can be seen in people suffering from a liver disease. This happens due to the dysfunction of bile production and flow, affecting digestion and nutrient absorption.
Abdominal Pain: You may also experience abdominal pain on the upper right side. Pain or discomfort in the upper right abdomen, where the liver is located, is a common symptom. This happens due to inflammation or stretching of the liver's capsule. Swelling in the abdomen can also occur when liver disease leads to fluid retention in the abdominal cavity.
Itchy Skin: Many people with certain liver diseases experience persistent itching. It's common in conditions like biliary liver diseases, where bile flow is affected. This itchy skin can be a sign of piled-up toxins in your body that have not been cleared out due to the dysfunction of your liver.
Change in Urine or Stool: If your liver is not functioning properly, you may see a change in the Colour of your urine or stools. Urine may become darker or can turn yellowish in Colour, and stools may turn pale or greyish in the case of a liver disease.
Yellowish Skin or Eyes: The most common and visible symptoms of liver disease are the yellowish Colour of your skin and the whites of your eyes. It happens due to a yellow pigment called bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is produced from the breakdown of red blood cells. It is generally processed and excreted by the liver. When the liver is unable to metabolize this bilirubin, it gets collected in the bloodstream, resulting in the yellowish colour of the skin and eyes.
Easy Bruise: The liver is responsible for producing some very necessary proteins that are useful for blood clotting. In liver disease, the liver becomes unable to produce these proteins, resulting in easy bruising or continued bleeding from minor injuries.
When To Seek Help?
The liver is a very crucial part of our body, which ensures our health and well-being. That is why it is necessary to be cautious about liver health as well. Although recognizing the above-mentioned symptoms as early as possible can save you from developing a severe liver disease, if you experience any worsening symptoms, you should immediately consult a healthcare expert for proper guidance.
How To Prevent Liver Disease?
Prevention and management of liver disease are not that tough. Adopting healthy lifestyle changes such as eating a balanced diet, avoiding alcohol, limiting processed foods, maintaining a healthy weight, adopting safe sex habits, and maintaining hygiene can also help reduce the risk of diseases like hepatitis B. Another useful way of preventing liver disease is timely vaccination. Other than these prevention methods, you can also use ayurvedic medicine for fatty liver.
Conclusion
The liver is known as the checkpoint of our body, as it plays an important role in detecting and flushing out harmful toxins from our body. That is why, to be healthy, we need to take care of our liver as well. Although there are many different liver diseases and all of them have different symptoms some symptoms like nausea, yellowish skin Colour, fatigue, and abdominal pain are common. Detecting these symptoms at their early stages is necessary for early diagnoses and the prevention of liver disease.