We know it feels tiring when we work for an extended shift of 10-12 hours. So you could now possibly understand how much your liver works continuously to keep your body healthy and working. The liver does a lot to filter the toxins from your body resulting from an unhealthy diet and heavy drinking.
The sad part is people with liver failure have a high risk of developing liver cancer. But most people aren’t aware of the cause of liver failure and its symptoms unless they are being diagnosed with a severe sign.
1. Jaundice
Jaundice is a health condition where you will have darker urine with a yellow tint in the whites of your eyes. This is probably one of the most commonly seen signs, not only in liver damages but also in other health defects. A weakened liver will have jaundice resulting in the formation of bilirubin. Bilirubin is a pigment that forms when red blood cells break down to build up in your bloodstream. A healthy liver will absorb the bilirubin and convert it to bile for your body to excrete it in the form of stool.
2. Itchy skin
Itchy skin is one of the early signs that tell your liver is in trouble. If you have liver disease or damage, you will have high levels of bile salt accumulating under the skin, causing itchiness. Not everyone with high levels of bile salts feels itchy. Even some people have itchiness despite a normal bile salt level.
3. Bleeding
Another warning sign that your liver is in trouble is the symptoms of bleeding. You either vomit blood or notice blood in your stool. The increased pressure in the portal vein results in excessive bleeding. The portal vein is the vein that carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver.
4. Loss of appetite
As the liver plays a crucial role in the functioning of the digestive system, liver damage can cause loss of appetite. Loss of appetite can thus result in weight loss. Patients with chronic liver disease experience abdominal pain, nausea, and weight loss.
5. Memory problems and confusion
Since the liver isn’t able to filter the toxins from the blood, these toxins will be build up in the brain leading to confusion and memory loss. Some people might experience mood swings, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, and personality changes.
6. Menstrual problems
Liver disease can cause abnormalities in the menstrual cycle and reproductive function of both women and men. Since a weakened liver may fail to regulate the production and breakdown of hormones, it can result in enlarged breasts and shrunken testicles in men. While in women, their menstrual cycle is affected, which hence shows symptoms like heavy menstrual bleeding or missed periods.
Though you don’t have to panic if you have any of these symptoms, but with proper control of diet and drinks can improve your liver functioning to a greater extent. Also, when you experience any of these signs, rush to your nearest doctor.