Recognize Liver Symptoms Before It’s Too Late
Liver symptoms vary greatly, but usually only appear after the liver has experienced damage or a drastic decrease in function. Recognize liver symptoms so that this disease can be detected and treated as early as possible.
When liver function is disturbed, there are various complaints that may be felt. The complaints that arise can be different for each sufferer and depend on the severity of the liver disease suffered.
Some liver symptoms are very mild and some are not felt at all. If treated too late, liver disease can cause liver failure or permanent liver damage. If it’s like that, the only way to deal with it is with a liver transplant.
Various Liver Symptoms
The following are various liver symptoms that you should be aware of and consult a doctor:
1. Yellowing of the skin and eyes
One of the common liver symptoms is yellowing of the skin and eyes. This condition, known as jaundice, is caused by the liver not being able to process bilirubin as it should. As a result, bilirubin accumulates in the blood and makes the skin and eyes yellow.
Read More : How to Treat Liver Disease Naturally and Medically
2. Swollen stomach
The next liver symptom is a swollen stomach due to fluid accumulating in the abdominal cavity. This condition, called ascites, is usually experienced by people with cirrhosis.
Initially, ascites is only an increase in waist circumference and body weight. However, if the disease gets worse, this liver symptom can cause the sufferer’s stomach to become very swollen, causing shortness of breath.
3. Itchy skin
Liver disease can be characterized by the appearance of itchy skin, either on one part of the body or the whole body. This condition can be triggered by various things, one of which is the buildup of bile salts under the skin.
The itching can be so severe that you can’t sleep or stop yourself from scratching it.
4. Easily bruises and bleeds
The next liver symptom is easy bruising. One of the liver’s functions is to produce proteins needed for the blood clotting process. When liver function is disrupted, protein production is reduced, so bruising can easily occur even from minor impacts.
Apart from the various conditions above, other liver symptoms that may appear are chronic fatigue, swelling of the feet and ankles, dark colored urine, black or pale stools, nausea, vomiting and no appetite.
Maintaining Liver Health
Liver disease is mostly caused by 3 factors, namely obesity, hepatitis infection that is diagnosed too late, and addiction to alcoholic drinks.
Apart from that, this disease can also be caused by exposure to toxic substances, diabetes, high cholesterol, and consumption of supplements whose effectiveness and safety are not guaranteed.
To avoid liver disease, you should start living a healthy lifestyle, such as:
- Maintain ideal body weight
- Limit consumption of alcoholic drinks
- Complete hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccine status
- Consume food that is hygienic or kept clean
If you are experiencing liver symptoms as mentioned above, especially if you are at high risk of developing liver disease, you should see a doctor for appropriate examination and treatment.
Read More : How to Prevent Liver Disease, Start Now
