The liver plays a vital role as one of the organs that regulates the body.
If it ever becomes unhealthy and weak, it becomes a problem for your body and is detrimental to your health, although it gives you early signs that something is wrong before totally shutting down.
First, let us explain what the liver does in the body. The liver is the body organ that filters the toxins in the body, helps with food digestion, and controls the body’s energy storage. The liver does a ton of work, and if it stops working correctly, it becomes overworked and injured. You have to be well-informed about the hidden symptoms of liver disease to seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of them. That is what we will be talking about in the course of this article.
What Causes Liver Disease?
The liver does a ton of work in the body, so it is very important to pay attention to what you consume in your body. Also, try to live healthy because most of the causes of liver disease stems from what you eat and daily life habits. This is why one does not notice the hidden symptoms of liver disease.
Here are the significant risk factors of liver disease:
1. Constant Exposure to Toxins
One of the liver’s primary responsibility is removing and cleaning toxins from the blood vessels and other body parts. So overexposure to toxins can overwork the liver, leaving it overwhelmed and tired, which can damage the liver and cause liver disease.
2. Taking Harmful Substances and Misusing Drugs Without Prescription
According to statistics, the most common cause of liver disease is the use of herbs, especially without a prescription, and overuse of substances. When you overuse herbs, it stresses the liver and causes injury to it, leading to inflammation.
3. Unhealthy Lifestyle and Habits
Most people have died of liver disease and failure because of their unhealthy lifestyles and habits. Obesity and fat are also some of the major factors leading to liver disease. Therefore, a lifestyle that leads to obesity and fat should be avoided.
Below are some of these unhealthy habits:
- Too much alcohol
- Not drinking enough water
- Overconsumption of processed food
- Irregular eating habits
- Excessive smoking
- Not getting enough sleep
- Not exercising
- Overeating sugar
- Unsafe sex
- Ingesting harmful substances, e.g., illegal drugs
4. Infections
Infections that are left untreated can cause injury to the liver, leading to liver disease. Infections like hepatitis are one of the leading causes of liver disease. Make sure to treat any infections you encounter and get a hepatitis vaccination. Other infectious diseases include hemochromatosis, Wilson’s disease, inherited conditions, and primary biliary cholangitis, which happens when there is a problem with the immune system.
What Are The Stages of Liver Disease?
The reason why it is essential to recognise the hidden symptoms of liver disease is so that you do not get to the stage where nothing can be done to help you due to the lack of early medical help. To live a long and healthy life, you must have liver health awareness to know the process and stages of liver disease, which are as follows:
1. The Inflamed Liver Stage
An early stage of liver disease is the inflammation stage. What happens here is the irritation of the liver by the intake of dangerous substances or herbs into the body, which then leads to the enlargement of the liver. Most people who are in this stage do not experience any signs or symptoms.
2. The Fibrosis Stage
The liver gets to this stage as the inflammation persists, leading to scars on the liver. These scars show that the liver is injured because they destroy the healthy tissue, affecting its function. When the liver does not work correctly, it becomes a problem. Fibrosis only leads to a decomposed liver and should be treated immediately.
3. The Cirrhosis Stage
The scar tissue in the cirrhosis stage continues to expand in this stage, damaging any healthy tissue that is on its way. In this stage, you start to experience the symptoms.
4. The Advanced or Decompensated Cirrhosis Stage
This stage is when the liver is dead. It is no longer alive and does not work at all. It leads to liver failure, cancer, and other liver diseases. This stage causes the body to shut down, and there are visible symptoms.
10 Hidden Symptoms of Liver Disease (Answering the question – Is your Liver healthy?)
To avoid having a deteriorated liver or liver disease, you have to be able to detect the hidden symptoms of liver diseases, which are discussed below.
1. Weakness and Fatigue
One of the hidden symptoms of liver disease is the feeling of fatigue and weakness; whenever you feel tired, especially when you have not done anything stressful, that could be a sign that you have liver disease.
2. Loss of Appetite
Liver disease makes you feel less hungry and more full even if you have not eaten all day. One of the hidden symptoms of liver disease is the loss of interest in food. Your body does not have enough nutrients to give you an appetite because the liver is not functioning well enough to absorb them.
3. Persistent Nausea
Being nauseous and feeling like vomiting is another hidden symptom of liver disease. Although, this is a common symptom for many other illnesses, there is a big possibility that you are dealing with a potential liver disease.
4. Persistent Abdominal Pain
You start to feel a sharp pain in your abdomen, and it continues to increase by the second. Some people feel this pain in their upper abdomen, which sometimes makes them unable to walk or move their body.
5. Excreting Dark Urine and Pale Stool
Whenever you go to pee, peak to see if your urine is dark, and also after stooling, check to see if it is pale. If the answer is yes, then your liver has a problem, and you are experiencing hidden symptoms of liver disease.
6. Yellow Skin and Eyes
This condition is commonly known as Jaundice, and if you are experiencing this, then there is a strong possibility you have liver disease.
7. Itchiness and Rashes
When you start having a crawling sensation or itching along with red skin rashes, especially on your chest, rush to the hospital for a proper checkup because it could be a sign of liver disease.
8. Having Trouble Remembering Things
If you start noticing that you hardly remember things and always confused about things, then you probably have liver disease.
9. Legs and Ankles Become Fat and Large
Having a swollen leg and ankle is a strong indication that you might have liver disease. Your legs and ankles become fat and heavy when the liver stores fluid.
10. Stooling and Vomiting Blood
While this could be a symptom of many other illnesses, it is also a hidden symptom of a severely damaged liver.
In Summary
One of the most common silent killers of humans is liver disease; you must take care of your liver to live a healthy life. See a doctor if you notice any of these symptoms in your body or on your loved one, although some of these symptoms can be attributed to other health conditions, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Read also: 6 hidden symptoms of liver disease.
