20 Signs That Tell You When Your Liver Is Bad
Signs that Warn you when the Liver is Bad range from small things to serious. In addition, the liver is one of Organs most important organs in the body, responsible for metabolizing and eliminating toxins, making them less harmful.
However, when the liver is bad , some signs may end up appearing, to alert the body.
Know some of these signs, knowing that, as much as they are symptoms in common, they do not necessarily represent liver dysfunction . Also, always consult your doctor.
Signs that tell you when the liver is bad:
1. Bleeding in the digestive system:
Liver problems can lead to portal vein obstruction, which causes increased pressure in the venous system of the digestive system – such as the veins in the stomach and esophagus. This fact can lead to bleeding.
Digestive hemorrhages usually come in cases of liver cirrhosis (already in an advanced stage).
The person affected by the problem may end up having hemorrhagic vomiting, losing a lot of blood.
2. Fatigue:
Feeling extremely tired is a common sign that can occur when the liver is bad . in addition, Fatigue is common in people who have hepatitis, cirrhosis, or fatty liver.
The worse the liver is, the more extreme tiredness the person will feel.
3. Abdominal pain:
Abdominal pain is one of the main signs that warn you when the liver is bad . Well, they may be related to the liver, especially in cases of acute hepatitis.
However, abdominal pain can also be caused by other problems, such as the gallbladder, bile ducts, base of the right lung, and even injuries to the rib or abdomen muscles.
4. Ascites:
Ascites, also known as water belly, is a common symptom when the liver is bad, as in the case of cirrhosis of the liver.
Schistosomiasis is also a disease that can cause this symptom in the liver. In addition, ascites occurs due to high pressure inside the veins, pushing water to the outside – straight into the cavity of the abdomen.
5. General symptoms not specified:
People with liver problems tend to have several unspecified symptoms, such as nausea, lack of hunger, discouragement and weight loss. In cases of acute hepatitis, it is common for the person to also have a fever.
Having a bitter taste in your mouth is something commonly associated with cases where the liver is bad. However, this symptom can also have causes such as:
- Reflux ;
- Gastritis ;
- Problems with teeth or gums;
- Faringites;
- Amygdalites ;
- Dehydration;
- Not eating for a long time;
- Medicines;
- Cigarette.
If you don’t have any other symptoms other than this one, it’s unlikely it’s a symptom of a major liver problem .
6. Collateral circulation:
When blood cannot pass through the portal vein, the body ends up needing to change the direction of blood flow.
The blood ends up having to return in large quantities through collateral veins that, in healthy people, only pass in a small volume of blood.
7. Purplish spots on the skin:
Ecchymosis (purple spots on the skin) are common in people with liver problems. After all, the liver is the one who produces the proteins responsible for blood clotting.
That way, people with liver problems may have a harder time stopping bleeding.
When the liver is bad , it is also common for the number of platelets to be low, contributing to the ineffectiveness of blood clotting.
8. Encephalopathy:
This signal represents a dysfunction in the basic functions of the brain. In people with liver problems, some ingested toxins end up passing straight (without metabolizing) to the brain.
Some of the symptoms (of mild frames) can be:
- Lethargy;
- Irritability;
- Difficulty concentrating.
More severe symptoms often lead to reduced levels of consciousness and even coma.
9. Jaundice:
Jaundice is when the skin ends up having a yellow color, as it occurs in the eyes and mucous membranes, due to the increase of bilirubin in the bloodstream.
When the liver is bad , it ends up not metabolizing (or excreting) the bilirubin produced by the spleen.
Thus, the skin ends up turning yellow.
People with jaundice also often feel very itchy, in addition to having pale stools and very dark urine. in addition, The liver diseases that most often lead to this symptom are usually hepatitis and cirrhosis.
However, jaundice is not a specific symptom of liver problems.
10. Gynecomastia:
Gynecomastia is a problem that occurs when men develop breasts.
Although the causes are not yet very clear, it is likely that this is due to the increase in estrogen in the bloodstream – due to liver malfunction.
11. Palmar erythema:
This symptom basically represents when the palm of the hand becomes very red.
It is not a specific sign of when the liver is bad, as it can also happen in people who have rheumatoid arthritis, hyperthyroidism and in pregnant women.
12. Teleangiectasias:
Popularly known as vascular spiders , telangiectasias end up appearing on the trunk, face, legs and arms. This is also one of the signs that tell you when the liver is bad .
It is also a symptom related to estrogen metabolic changes. Healthy people and pregnant people can have vascular spiders.
In cirrhosis, for example, the number of vascular spiders ends up being much higher, in addition to having a different size.
Other signs that tell you when the liver is bad:
- Fever, skin infections and asthma .
- High tension.
- Liquid retention .
- Headaches .
- Unstable blood sugar level.
Some tips to prevent:
- Try to eat only organic food;
- Avoid refined sugars;
- Reduce or avoid alcohol;
- Drink at least two liters of water a day;
- Eat a balanced, high-quality diet.