The liver is the largest organ in our body, weighing approximately 1.5 kg and 10 cm in diameter, and it plays a key role in the body’s functioning:
- it filters and detoxifies the blood: by filtering it, it removes waste and toxins
- it transforms and stores substances brought in during digestion
- It synthesizes bile, and is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins
Like the rest of our body, it can be affected by acute or chronic pathologies.
Among the most common diseases, we can note chronic hepatitis (B and C), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH), alcoholic hepatitis, hemochromatosis, liver cancer.
The majority result in the development of fibrosis followed by cirrhosis.
However, if you think about the “liver crisis”, its name is misleading: it refers to a digestive problem, not a liver dysfunction!
Here are 7 signs that may alert you. If you have any doubts about the health of your liver, consult a healthcare professional who can provide you with an informed diagnosis.
Also read | The best dietary supplements for a healthy liver
1. Yellowish complexion
The yellowish complexion, known as jaundice or icterus, is often associated with a liver problem.
Do you have yellow eyes or skin? This coloration results from an accumulation of bilirubin, a pigment in bile. When the liver is unhealthy, it struggles to eliminate this bile.
However, be careful! You can have jaundice and a healthy liver. Indeed, the presence of gallstones can also trigger jaundice.
2. Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain may be a sign of indigestion, as well as a more serious pathology. They can notably appear when your liver is unwell.
Are you experiencing pain on the right side of the abdomen, below the ribs, as well as in the shoulder and back? It may be a sign of a liver problem.
Certain pathologies can cause sharp and persistent pain, which can be unbearable and may lead to an emergency room visit.
3. Digestive issues
Experiencing nausea, gastric pain, or frequent diarrhea? While they may indicate pregnancy or indigestion, these symptoms could well suggest a liver disease.
Indeed, the liver plays a role in digestion through its production of bile. If its function is impaired, digestion may be less effective and cause discomfort.
4. Bloating
Don’t worry, bloating and gas are not necessarily indicative of liver disease. However, if it persists, be vigilant.
Indeed, a serious liver dysfunction can lead to the accumulation of a light yellow fluid in the tissues (ascites) resulting in abdominal distention and a feeling of heaviness. It is often found in a cirrhotic state.
5. Discolored stools and dark urine
Do you constantly have light to white stools? This can be a sign of liver failure.
This symptom is caused by a reduction or absence of bile salts in the intestines. Even if discussing this topic may be uncomfortable, notify your primary care physician.
Indeed, it is normally the bilirubin transformed into stercobilin that gives stools their dark color.
To manage to evacuate bile salts, our body may utilize the kidneys by eliminating them through urine.
This causes a dark color in the latter.
Be cautious, as some liver diseases can cause bleeding that, on the contrary, results in black stools due to the presence of blood.
6. General fatigue
If you work too much, or you’ve had a late-night party, fatigue is quite normal. But a long-term general fatigue is a common symptom of many diseases, including those of the liver.
Toxin accumulation, metabolic disturbances of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins can be responsible for this fatigue.
Additionally, a diseased liver tends to cause sleep disorders, difficulty falling asleep, and nocturnal awakenings.
7. Unexplained weight loss
Are you losing your appetite and weight without any logical explanation? They might be signs of a diseased liver.
Nevertheless, this symptom generally indicates a cirrhotic stage of the liver, which needs to be addressed very quickly. Contact your doctor without delay!
Read also | 20 foods to protect our liver
