Liver Damage Symptoms

Liver is one of the vital organs of the human body. It plays a number of important roles in the process of metabolism. The most important liver functions are mentioned below.

• The liver processes the nutrients produced by the digestion of food
• It deals with the toxins and drugs absorbed via the intestine
• It recycles erythrocytes by breaking them down
• It produces essential proteins
• It regulates metabolism of cholesterol
• It produces blood clotting agents
• It removes excess of bile from the body

Bile is one of the byproducts of the red blood cell recycling process. Bile plays an important role in the digestion of fats. When the liver is damaged and is unable to rid the body of excessive bile, serious problems occur. The presence of bile in the blood causes the skin, face and the white part of the eyes to look pale. This condition is known as jaundice. It is an indication of liver failure or damage. There may be a number of other signs of liver failure, but before discussing them, let's learn about the various causes of liver damage.

What are the Causes of Liver Damage?

• Alcoholism
• Hemochromatosis, i.e., excessive deposition of iron in the liver cells.
• Clots in the Portal vein
• Metabolic disorders
• Genetic disorders
• Liver adenoma, cyst or cancer
• Infection by viruses
• All types of hepatitis, i.e., autoimmune, toxic, A, B, C, D and E.
• Primary biliary cirrhosis, mostly occurs in women.
• Body's immune system attacking and destroying the liver cells. This is quite uncommon.

What are the Symptoms of Liver Damage?

• The early symptoms of liver damage include fatigue, weakness, lack of appetite, loss of energy, weight loss and nausea.
• A damaged liver cannot remove bilirubin from the blood. The skin and the white part of the eyes become yellow due to its presence in the blood. This condition is called jaundice, which is one of the major liver damage symptoms.
• Nails change in color and appearance. They become more curved (clubbing) and look white rather than pink.
• Loss of appetite, that eventually results in weight loss and anemia. There is indigestion or improper metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
• 20% of patients suffering from liver diseases, notice darkening of their skin color.
• Stool of the patient becomes lighter in color. This is due to the absence of bile in it.
• Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the common signs of liver damage.
• In many patients of liver damage, an enlarged liver is common. This is called hepatomegaly. There is dilation of the abdominal part beneath the lower ribs on the right side.
• The severity of the above mentioned problems may increase the pressure on the diaphragm. This may further result in breathing complications.
• Polydipsia (excessive thirst) and polyuria (frequent urination) are other important symptoms of liver damage.
• An important function of the liver is to remove excessive fluids with the help of kidneys, from the body. When the liver is damaged, the body starts retaining fluids, which is known as bloating.
• One of the most common liver damage symptoms is the formation of more than 5 spider nevus. Spider nevus is a red spot surrounded by fine blood vessels, present just below the skin. This signifies that the liver is not able to detoxify estrogen hormone from the blood resulting in the dilation of some of the dermal arterioles.
• There is a delay noticed in blood clotting as the liver is no more able to produce an important blood clotting protein, fibrinogen.
• In more than 50% of male patients of liver damage, enlargement of the breasts and shrinkage of the testes is observed.
• In the advanced stages of liver damage, symptoms such as nose bleeding, presence of blood in vomit and stools is observed.

Liver is an organ, which is metabolically very active. It is highly important for the survival of the human body. Despite all this, the human body can withstand the loss of approximately 60% of a normal liver. This is because the liver has the ability to regenerate itself. Still, any liver problem should not be taken casually. In case of the occurrence of aforementioned liver damage symptoms, you should immediately consult a health care professional for necessary intervention.