Liver Dysfunction Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of liver dysfunction often don't appear until significant liver damage has occurred.

Here are some of the most common types of liver problems and liver dysfunction symptoms that accompany them.

Liver Cancer - Liver cancer is very serious and in many cases, fatal. The cancer can start in the liver or spread to the liver from surrounding organs. Symptoms often include abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss; unexplained fevers are warning signs of liver cancer in patients with cirrhosis. Other liver cancer symptoms include ascites (abdominal fluid and swelling), jaundice (yellow color of the skin), an unexplained reduction in muscle mass (called muscle wasting) and an enlarged, sometimes tender, area near the location of the liver.

Fatty Liver Disease - Fatty liver disease occurs when droplets of fat start to accumulate within or on the liver causing it to not function correctly. There are few symptoms of fatty liver disease in the early stages. the most common is a vague right upper-quadrant abdominal pain or discomfort below the rib-cage on the right side.

Enlarged Liver - Enlarged liver occurs when the liver grows larger than it should. Sometimes it's called hepatomegaly and there are seldom any symptoms at first. If the liver becomes too large there can be pain in the abdomen or a person may feel stuffed even when they haven't eaten recently. This is normally a sign that another medical condition may exist.

Hepatitis - Hepatitis a serious condition that occurs when the liver is inflamed. The three most common types types of this disease are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. When the body's immune system attacks the liver and causes inflammation it's called autoimmune hepatitis. Hepatitis is caused by a virus (see the picture of the hepatitis virus to the right).

There is many signs of liver dysfunction, including:

• Lack of appetitie or even anorexia
• Aching or painful joints
• Certain common smells may suddenly become disagreeable
• Constipation
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue and a feeling of extreme weariness
• Fever
• General malaise and a lack of energy
• Headaches
• Muscle pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Unusual sensitivity to bright light (also known as photophobia)
• Upper-right abdominal pain

Symptoms that liver problems have reached a later stage usually include:

• Dark-colored urine
• Light-colored stools
• Jaundice

Cirrhosis - This is a serious liver disease that is normally caused from consuming too much alcohol although, it can also result from other problems that affect the liver. Cirrhosis symptoms sometimes don't appear until liver damage has reached an advanced stage. When they present, they're likely to include:

• Ascites, or fluid buildup in the abdomen
• Abdominal pain or discomfort.
• Bleeding from enlarged veins in the digestive tract
• Bruising easily
• Confusion and mental disorientation
• Edema, or fluid buildup in the legs
• Epistaxis, or profuse nosebleeds
• Fatigue and a general feeling of weariness
• Frequent infections
• Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin
• Pruritus, or unusual itchiness
• Redness of the palms
• Spider angiomas, or small red spots and tiny lines on the skin
• Unusual weight loss and muscle wasting

PBC - PBC is Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and it occurs when there is a slow but progressive destruction in the liver that causes the loss of bile ducts. Eventually, liver failure or cirrhosis can occur.

Liver Cysts - Liver cysts are referred to as "sac-like formations" that grow in the liver. They are normally benign and don't cause any type of life threatening problems. The patient usually won't have any symptoms and they very seldom require treatment.

Wilson's Disease - This is a genetic defect in which abnormal amounts of copper will accumulate within the body. Symptoms of Wilson's disease include rings around the eyes that are a copper color and erratic muscular movements.

Hemochromatosis - This is simply a disease that causes extra iron to form and build up in the liver. It is hard to diagnose because early symptoms are similar to other common conditions. Watch for

• Abdominal pain
• Abnormal liver function tests, even if no other symptoms are present
• Amenorrhea, which is lack of normal menstruation
• Arthritis, especially in your hands
• Chronic fatigue
• High blood sugar levels
• Hypothyroidism, also known as low thyroid or underactive thyroid
• Lack of interest in sex, or in men, impotence

PSC - PSC is Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and it's caused when the bile ducts become inflamed and scarred. This can occur in the liver or on the outside of the liver. When the ducts become blocked the liver cells become damaged causing cirrhosis and liver failure.

Early signs of liver dysfunction include fatigue and bodily itchiness, possibly followed by jaundice. In the later stages, patients also typically develop right upper abdominal pain, fever, and fatigue.

If you have signs and symptoms of liver dysfunction and are diagnosed with any of these liver problems your health care provider will talk to you about all of your options and the treatment process that you'll need to follow.

The liver is a vital organ that performs man functions within the body. It is strong and resilient and it can continue to function despite being afflicted by one of dozens of possible problems. It even has the ability to regenerate itself even after part has been removed. No other organ can do that, and its ability to regenerate also makes "living donor" liver transplants possible.

Liver problems in humans range from minor conditions that can be treated easily to diseases that can be fatal. All of these fall into three main categories.

1. Liver cell damage
2. The accumulation of toxins in the liver
3. Problems with the secretion and/or production of bile

Different types of liver conditions normally cause liver dysfunction symptoms, depending on what is wrong. Knowing how the disease affects the liver makes it possible for doctors to recognize liver problem symptoms and treat the condition. 

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