Liver Failure Signs

The liver is a pinkish-brown, soft, triangular organ that carries out numerous essential functions. It assists in the breakdown of food, converting it into energy. It helps to process digested food from the intestines and rid the body of waste products. The liver plays a significant role in fighting infections in the body as well as controlling levels of fats, amino acids and glucose in the blood.

Liver failure may occur due to a host of illnesses. Some liver diseases caused by viruses are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Some are a result of drinking too much alcohol, ingesting poisons or due to drug abuse. Other diseases affecting the liver include acute liver failure, chronic liver failure, cirrhosis, Gilbert syndrome, enlarged liver, liver cancer, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and Wilson's disease.

The initial liver failure signs are:

• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite, and
• Diarrhea

However, as liver failure progresses, other signs of liver failure begin to show:

• Jaundice (discoloration of skin and eyes that appear yellowish)
• Abdominal pain and swelling
• Bleeding easily
• Constantly itchy skin
• Dark urine color
• Bloody or tar-colored stool
• Pale stool color
• Mental disorientation or confusion
• Sleepiness
• Coma

Acute liver failure is a condition in which a person's liver rapidly loses its ability to function. While in most cases, liver failure develops slowly over the course of years, in acute liver failure, it takes place in a few days. Complications arising from this condition include excessive bleeding and increasing pressure in the brain. When a person suffers acute liver failure, he / she needs to be immediately hospitalized, as it is a medical emergency. In critical cases, often the only course of treatment is a liver transplant. The symptoms of acute liver failure may include the yellowing of the skin and eyeballs (jaundice). One may also experience tenderness in the upper right area of the abdomen. Patients complain of not feeling well and may experience nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms include difficulty concentrating, disorientation, confusion, sleepiness and muscle tremors.

Alcohol consumption is known to be one of the causes of serious liver diseases. In the case of alcoholic hepatitis, it may develop not only in heavy drinkers, but also in moderate drinkers or those who have binged once. Patients experience symptoms similar to those of acute liver failure, with the addition of loss of appetite, dry mouth, lightheadedness, unusual thirst, unexpected rapid weight gain and paleness. The good news is that in most cases, this condition can be reversed, if one ceases to drink.

Cirrhosis is a condition that is defined by scar tissue formation in your liver, after years of damage. In the mild form of the illness, the liver may mend and continue to carry out its functions. However, in advanced cases, its function is severely affected due to the formation of scar tissue. Unfortunately, cirrhosis does not usually exhibit any symptoms until damage is extensive.

Most often, acute liver failure can be treated when detected in the early stages. That is why it is crucial to seek treatment at the first liver failure signs. If it is brought on by an overdose of acetaminophen, treatment and reversal of damages is usually possible. Alternately, if liver failure is caused by a virus, the symptoms can be treated at a hospital till the patient recovers. In cases where liver failure is the outcome of long-term deterioration, treatment is provided with the goal of saving functional parts of the liver. In cases where liver function is very diminished, a liver transplant may be the only option. Luckily, liver transplant is a frequently carried out procedure, usually with good results.