Signs of Liver Damage: Early Symptoms, Advanced Warning Signs, and When to Seek Help

Liver disease diagnosis is at an all-time high, and according to doctors, the most affected ones are children and young people. Liver damage not only develops quietly over time but can prove to be fatal

if ignored. And so, it is important to recognize its signs, which are crucial in preventing progression to severe liver disease. According to experts, careful understanding of these symptoms and seeking timely care is the ultimate key to managing or even reversing liver damage.

How is liver damage different from liver failure?

Doctors say liver damage is completely different from liver failure, as the damage can be for a short term or chronic and only happens when diseases or conditions affect the liver. Even though liver damage progresses to liver disease, not all of it can lead to failure. However, liver failure happens when the organ is unable to do its job properly, which involves filtering, cleaning, and clotting the blood and metabolizing food and medication. If you have chronic liver disease, it can cause severe inflammation, which turns into scar tissue that becomes life-threatening cirrhosis. Doctors say over time, damage and disease result in liver failure - a serious condition that may cause complete organ failure. A few health factors that can cause liver disease, both cirrhosis and failure, include:

Alcoholic liver disease

It is caused when you have been consuming excessive alcohol for a long time

Autoimmune hepatitis

It happens when your immune system attacks the liver

Chronic heart failure

It leads to congestion of the liver and slows blood outflow

Inherited liver diseases

These include Wilson’s disease and hemochromatosis

Prolonged intake of medicines

Long-term use of drugs like Tylenol and aspirin can cause liver failure

What are the signs of liver damage you must not ignore?

According to doctors, the signs of liver damage mostly vary with the cause, as acute liver failure appears suddenly, while damage from hepatitis or chronic conditions might not show symptoms for years. A few symptoms you may notice include:

In the Beginning

A liver disease always starts with inflammation, which is caused by tissue swelling. While most people do not show symptoms at this stage, doctors detect liver damage using blood tests, such as complete blood count and liver function tests. You may start to feel chronically tired, weak, and fatigued, along with having itchy skin, continuous nausea and vomiting, and even loss of appetite. Many people experience sexual dysfunction and loss of appetite as well.

Progressive

As the liver disease progresses, your signs would include: Swelling in your abdomen, being forgetful, and many changes in your personality, a lot of confusion, insomnia, or other sleep disorders, along with swelling in the lower limbs. Many people also get diagnosed with jaundice, passing dark or black stools and very dark urine. At this stage, your doctor may call for tests and evaluations to track liver damage and assess its health, using X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), or other types of imaging to track disease progression.

What are the different stages of liver disease?

Stage 0

There are no signs of any inflammation at this stage

Stage 1

In this stage, you may experience inflammation in a few parts of your liver, but no major symptoms

Stage 2

This stage, also known as fibrosis, leads to changes in your sleep rhythm and shortened attention span.

Stage 3

In the third stage, you may start experiencing bleeding in the stomach, intestines, and esophagus

Stage 4

Advanced liver disease causes cirrhosis, severe scarring of the liver, varices, ascites, internal bleeding, and other complications.