What are the symptoms of liver disease?
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Johns Hopkins Medicine answered:Liver disease occurs when liver cells and/or bile ducts are destroyed or impaired or when blood flow to or from the liver are decreased or blocked. Symptoms of liver disease may include:
• Jaundice (yellowing of eyes and skin) – Injured liver cells are unable to process and excrete waste products. When too much bilirubin, a normal waste product of red blood cells, accumulates in the body, a person’s skin turns yellowish-green color.
• Severe itching – The accumulation of bile salts may contribute to severe itching or pruritus.
• Dark urine
• Mental confusion or coma – Ammonia and other toxic substances which build up in the body can cause a brain dysfunction called hepatic encephalopathy.
• Vomiting of blood – Portal hypertension also causes varices or enlarged vessels of the esophagus (the food tube that connects your mouth to your stomach). If there is increased pressure, bleeding or rupture of the vessels may occur. Common signs of bleeding or ruptured varices include blood in a person’s bowel movements, weakness or fainting.
• Easy bruising and tendency to bleed
• Gray or clay-colored stools
• Ascites (abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen) - Ascites is due to increased or blocked blood flow through the liver or to decreased albumin, a protein that maintains pressure within the blood vessels. Edema, salt and water imbalance causes fluid to build up in the legs and arms.
Other complications include infection, kidney failure, anemia and change in hair growth.Liver disease occurs when liver cells and/or bile ducts are destroyed or impaired or when blood flow to or from the liver are decreased or blocked. Symptoms of liver disease may include:• Jaundice (yellowing of eyes and skin)... More -
Each patient’s liver disease can develop differently. Some symptoms of deteriorating liver function are fatigue, forgetfulness or mental confusion, loss of consciousness (coma), sleep reversal (inability to sleep at night, but wanting to sleep all day), ascites (fluid in the abdomen), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (infection of the ascetic fluid), edema (swelling of the legs), bleeding gums, vomiting of blood, bleeding from rectum or passing black stools (from internal bleeding), itching of the skin, enlarged breasts in males, jaundice or “liver spots (spider angiomata and petechiae).Each patient’s liver disease can develop differently. Some symptoms of deteriorating liver function are fatigue, forgetfulness or mental confusion, loss of consciousness (coma), sleep reversal (inability to sleep at night, but wanting to sleep... More -
Dr. Audrey Chun of The Mount Sinai Medical Center answered:Although most patients with liver disease have no specific symptoms, when they do occur, they can include a dull ache under the rib cage on the right side, yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice) and swelling in the abdomen. If you experience any of these, report it to your doctor right away.Although most patients with liver disease have no specific symptoms, when they do occur, they can include a dull ache under the rib cage on the right side, yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice) and swelling in the abdomen. If you... More
