5 Signs of Liver Damage You Should Never Ignore

By Dr. Sanjiv Saigal in Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endoscopy

Apr 19 , 2022 | 2 min read

The liver is one of the most important organs of your body. Do you know why? Because it releases bile that removes waste products from your body. Apart from this, it also helps in the breakdown of fatty food items. Due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits, liver damage is quite common. It can be treated with medications and lifestyle modification in the initial stages. However, if the condition becomes severe, your liver may damage completely and require a liver transplant. If you want to avoid these complications, do not ignore the following warning signs of liver damage-

Fluid retention

Fluid retention in the abdomen is also known as ascites and is caused due to a condition called cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is scarring in liver tissue caused due to conditions like chronic alcoholism and hepatitis. Due to improper functioning of the liver and high blood pressure in the vein carrying blood to your liver (portal vein), fluids leak out of the vein into the belly and lead to ascites.

Your body weight will increase with ascites, and your belly size will also increase. Apart from this, you will notice the following symptoms-

Shortness of breathing
Ankle swelling
Back pain
Bloating
Abdominal pain
Indigestion
Loss of appetite
Constipation

Jaundice

Jaundice or yellow discolouration of eyes & urine is a symptom caused due to high levels of bilirubin in your blood that results in the following symptoms.

Fever
Abdominal pain
Chills
Yellowing of skin and white portion of eyes
Darkening of urine
Clay-colored stool

Bruising

Your liver is responsible for the formation of clotting proteins, but in case of liver damage, you tend to bruise and bleed more easily than usual due to liver damage.

Nausea and loss of appetite

As there is an accumulation of toxins in your body, you feel nauseous, and as the case deteriorates, there is loss of appetite and weight loss.

Abdominal pain and swelling

Your liver is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Due to swelling of the liver, you feel dull aching pain in that quadrant. However, if there is fluid retention, it can cause generalized abdominal pain.

What to do if you have these symptoms?

Seek medical attention and consult your doctor as he will suggest you to undergo Liver Function Test (LFT) and provide you treatment based on the stage of liver disease.

Moreover, modify your lifestyle to help your liver heal. Following are some tips that can keep your liver healthy.