USA (Web Desk): Every organ of our body performs a specific function and to keep the body functioning in order all the organs of the body should perform well.
‘Liver’ is one of the most important parts of the body. In a working condition liver performs different functions as: it cleans the blood, helps in digestion of food and fights infection. It is considered as a superhero of the body. It has the ability to regenerate when it has been damaged, replacing old tissue with new cells.
The American Liver Foundation warns, “Anything that keeps your liver from doing its job — or from growing back after injury — may put your life in danger.”
Major reasons of damage can be inflammation, scarring, cancer or even using too much Tylenol. Even though the liver lies on the inside of the body, the body shows outward signs when something is wrong. These signs include:
Turning yellow:
If the liver isn’t working properly your skin and the whites of your eyes could turn yellow, due to a buildup in the blood of a yellowish substance called bilirubin, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
The U.K.’s National Health Service adds that the yellowing symptom, called jaundice, can occur when the liver’s damage prevents it from processing that bilirubin.
Common causes of that kind of liver damage are hepatitis, cancer, drinking too much alcohol, abusing ecstasy, exposure to toxic substances and various infections.
Jaundice also changes the color of urine and stool, making the urine dark and the stool pale, the National Health Service explains.
Itch:
Few researches list liver disease as an underlying cause of itchy skin, as well as kidney failure, thyroid problems and cancer. “Itching usually affects the whole body. The skin may look otherwise normal except for the repeatedly scratched areas.”
Bruises:
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, individuals with liver damage will bruise or bleed more easily because their liver has slowed or stopped production of blood clotting proteins.
According to a research when the liver isn’t able to do its job, people may start to retain water in their abdomens and legs, causing swelling,.
No signs:
Occasionally, there just isn’t any indication that something is going wrong. Even in some cases up to half of those with liver disease show no signs. Among mild symptoms the most common ones “are very nonspecific and they include fatigue or excessive tiredness, lack of drive, rarely itching.”
Beyond those early symptoms, the side effects become more serious. The American Liver Foundation explains people may have the blood vessels leading to their livers burst, toxins could build up in their brains and interfere with mental function, and they could experience nausea and diarrhea.
The foundation says, “If liver failure progresses more serious the patient may become confused and perplexed, and enormously sleepy. There is a risk of coma and death.”
In severe conditions a liver transplant may be the only option, so it’s important to identify the signs of liver damage early to avoid severe damage.
