Your health is a priority, and that goes without saying. It is the responsibility of each individual to keep a check on their overall health and actively take measures to avoid diseases. However, the damage has already been done, and the diseases have already been developed. In such cases, the best you can do is start the treatment as soon as possible and do everything the health specialist asks you to. But how do you know whether you have an underlying disease or not? Especially when the illness is causing damage internally, how do you come to know that some part of your body is not functioning the way it is supposed to?
Well, for that, you need awareness about symptoms and easy signs. Yes, each organ, body part, and disease has different symptoms, and knowing all of them is not practically possible. But there are some diseases that you should know about, such as liver damage. The reason? It can prove life-threatening if the symptoms go unnoticed for a long time. So, to help you understand and identify symptoms related to liver damage, here’s a guide with all the information you will need.
Contents
What Is Liver Disease
Any issue that disrupts liver function can be liver disease. These diseases can take place on different levels, differing in their intensity and duration too. But in most cases, if the diagnosis or treatment is postponed for a long time, it can prove life-threatening. The reason behind this is that the liver is an integral part of the body. When the liver stops responding or performs poorly, it affects several other organs, too, leading to an overall damaged body system.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis, which shows as a swelling on the liver, is often considered one of the most muscular symptoms of liver damage. As per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hepatitis A, B, and C happen to be the most commonly encountered ones. Now, the tricky part about Hepatitis is that its symptoms show on different levels. For instance, acute symptoms are seen for a duration of not more than 1 to 6 months, and it may take years and years together for your body to show chronic Hepatitis. On the contrary, some people with Hepatitis may not show any symptoms for different reasons.
You can see the following symptoms in the case of Hepatitis:
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- fever
- fatigue and nausea
- vomiting
- joint and abdominal pain
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is yet another liver disease wherein the liver gets permanently damaged. This usually happens to people with alcohol addictions or overload. Cirrhosis is an alcohol-related liver disease that tends to happen due to other health conditions such as Hepatitis. This is why it is also known as alcoholic Cirrhosis. It causes pain in the upper abdomen and makes the patient feel tired and weaker than usual. You would notice unhealthy changes in your appetite and bowel movements too. However, these are the milder symptoms. As the condition progresses over time, the symptoms intensify. Such as:
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- Trouble in cognitive thinking
- jaundice
- bloating
- unnatural urine
- itchy skin
- swelling in the legs
Weak Autoimmune System
Out of the many autoimmune diseases, the most common one is Hepatitis, once again. Your liver is closely associated with the autoimmune system, which in its place is responsible for carrying out the entire body’s immune responses. The weakening of your immune system can directly weaken your liver and may even cause liver failure. In this case, the symptoms start easy, such as usual nausea and fatigue, and slowly intensify to the formation of fluid in the abdomen and poor functioning of the brain.
Fatty Liver Disease
This disease results from excessive fat accumulation in the liver, which the organ cannot manage after a certain point. This either slows the liver down temporarily or can hamper its functioning permanently, failing. The symptoms are not entirely evident for a long time, making this disease all the more dangerous. However, some of the early signs include:
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- tiredness and weakness
- extreme fatigue
- unnatural weight loss
- blood vessels starting to show on the skin
These are some of the diseases that often lead to liver damage. But you should know that most of them can be prevented by simply controlling your alcohol consumption. A person who drinks alcohol every day and engages in binge drinking will always be at a greater risk of developing a liver crisis. Besides that, pay attention to your food habits, and consume less fatty and more nutritionally sound meals. Last but not least, your lifestyle also affects your health, so make sure you lead an active yet well-rested lifestyle.
CONCLUSION
All in all, liver damage is a serious concern, and its risks are increasing by the day as people have been tied up in their busy schedules, finding no time to fix their lifestyle. In addition to that, alcohol consumption is something you must always pay careful attention to. Not just for your liver, but your overall health too.
