Signs Your Liver Might Be Failing
Liver is a large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates, involved in many metabolic processes. Liver is one of the most important organ is the body system.
The liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs. As it does so, the liver secretes bile that ends up back in the intestines. The liver also makes proteins important for blood clotting and other functions. These are signs that your liver might be failing.
Abdominal aches
Feeling sore, swollen, or achy in the “right upper quadrant” of your abdomen is a sign your liver might be in peril, Bacon says. While your liver spans most of your abdominal cavity, it’s shaped like a wedge, and its fat end is housed on your right side.
Skin spots
Skin spots might be another sign that your liver is failing because it may happen due to the fact that your liver is not properly cleaning your blood. You could also have clotting issues near the surface of your skin.
Jaundice
When your body breaks down old blood cells, one of the by-products created is a yellowish compound called “bilirubin.” While a healthy liver has no problem disposing of bilirubin, a diseased liver allows bilirubin to build up in your blood, which can turn your skin and eyes yellow, Wakim-Fleming explains.
Joint pain
Arthritis-like joint pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and loss of appetite are all interrelated symptoms of liver disease particularly autoimmune hepatitis, Wakim-Fleming explains. Autoimmune hepatitis is a condition in which your immune system mistakenly attacks the cells and tissues of your liver, and it’s more common in women than men, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Muscle wasting
An oversize belly or swollen ankles coupled with skinny, weak arms and legs could result from fluid imbalances caused by a diseased liver, Wakim-Fleming says. This muscle wasting can also show up above your cheeks and around your temples, she says. But again, these are late-stage liver disease symptoms and not something you’re likely to notice one day out of the blue.