Warning Signs of Liver Damage

Props for Your Liver

Your liver is an important organ as it breaks down food, fights infection and filters the bad stuff from the blood.  You simply can’t live without it, but you can slow, stop or reverse liver damage.

How problems Progress

There are many things that cause liver damage, and it will get worse over time.  First, the liver will swell, then get scars, called fibrosis.  But your liver can heal with treatment.  Without such treatment, the scars will become permanent, or cirrhosis, making your liver struggle to do its job.  And lastly, comes liver failure, meaning it is life-threatening, and the liver has stopped doing its job.

Symptoms

In the beginning, you might not notice any symptoms, but as it gets worse, your skin will itch and bruise easily.  Eyes and skin will appear yellowish, or jaundice.  Your belly can hurt , making you lose your appetite, or give you that sick-to-your-stomach feeling.  In addition, your legs, ankles and belly may swell, too.

Acute Liver Failure

Most liver disease is chronic, as it happens over time.  Sometimes, it comes on fast.  With the same symptoms—jaundice, pain and upset stomach—it takes only weeks or days for acute liver failure.  It is life-threatening, so it’s important to see your doctor right away when you notice symptoms.

Causes

Some liver problems are the result of diseases and health conditions, but lifestyle can play a part, as well.  While you have some control over your lifestyle—like drinking too much or too little exercise.

Obesity

As more people have gained more weight, liver disease has gone on the rise.  The extra weight raises the odds of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease when fat builds up in the liver.  For the most part, this is harmless, but for some people, it can get worse and lead to cirrhosis and other problems.

Alcohol

Heavy drinking is tough on the body because the liver’s process of filtering the alcohol from the blood causes harmful chemicals.  Drinking too much alcohol for long periods causes these chemicals to damage the liver when extra fat builds up.  This is called alcoholic fatty liver, and if you keep drinking, you can get alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver failure.

Drugs and Chemicals

Even medications and supplements can cause acute liver damage, like antibiotics, acetaminophen and NSAID pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen.  Most of the time it is due to taking high doses or mixed with alcohol or other drugs.  Street drugs like heroin and cocaine cause liver damage, as well as chemicals used in dry cleaners and factories.

Infections

Hepatitis A, B and C and other viruses cause acute or chronic damage to the liver.  The chances of getting hepatitis are raised by sharing needles during drug use, having unprotected sex with many partners or live in areas where food and water is unsafe to eat or drink.

Autoimmune Conditions

When the immune system is in overdrive, it will attack other organs in the body including the liver—like autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis.  With treatment, it can curb the immune systems’s reaction to help.

Duct and Blockage Problems

Primary sclerosing cholangitis causes scars in ducts that carry the bile from the liver to the intestines.  it will get worse over time leading to liver damage.  The rare condition, Budd-Chiari Syndrome—veins in the liver get blocked off.  Gallstones can block bile ducts causing jaundice and other problems.  If you get liver disease, you are more likely to get gallstones.

Cancer

Different cancers may affect the liver, but most spread to other organs too.  Your chances of getting liver cancer are high if you have damage from fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, hepatitis, liver failure and other conditions.  it is advisable to have your doctor check you regularly to catch the cancer early on.

Genetic Problems

Some people are born with rare conditions leading to liver disease.  These symptoms can show up when they are babies or 40 or 50 years later.  Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD) is when the body can’t make enough special protein to protect against liver damage.  Hemochromatosis allows too much iron to build up in the liver.  Wilson disease gives the body too much copper in the liver.

Diagnosis

To diagnose liver failure, doctors take blood tests to see how your liver is functioning.  Ultrasounds, CT scans and MRIs give doctors a quick look for any damage.  Sometimes a biopsy—a needle used to take a tiny sample of the liver to test it—is needed.

Treatment

During the early stages of liver disease, lifestyle changes can heal liver problems, even if you have advanced disease, it can limit damage.  Medications like steroids, surgery and other treatments can slow down or stop liver disease.

Stop Drinking

With mild or severe disease, it is best to stop drinking alcohol.  If you have trouble quitting on your own, ask your doctor for help by getting into a treatment program.  To prevent liver disease, limit your intake to one drink a day for women, and two for men.

Eat Well and Exercise

If you’re obese, lose weight as it can improve your liver health and cure some types of early-stage liver disease.  Regular exercise is always a plus whether your obese or not.  Eat a balanced diet with healthy grains, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins and choose high-fiber foods.  Limit high-fat, fried foods and salt, too.

Transplants

Severe liver problems can be lifesaving as a surgeon can replace the sick liver and replace it with a healthy one.  And a transplant doesn’t have to be a whole liver, as a doctor can use part of a liver from a living person.  In time, it will grow to full size, as well as the donor’s too.

Read Medication Labels

It is always best to follow the directions on drugs or products you use.  Never take more than the recommended dosage and don’t mix with alcohol unless your doctor or pharmacist says it’s ok.  Always check with your doctor before taking new medications, supplements or vitamins.

Take Care of Your Health

Get regular checkups so your doctor can keep an eye on your health with exams and tests.  Follow your doctor’s recommended treatment if you have high-blood pressure or diabetes, which can make liver problems worse.  Check with your doctor about shots like hepatitis vaccines that protect your liver from damage.