Our liver is the most hardworking but undervalued organ in the body. Everybody talks about having a healthy heart, weight loss, glowing skin and so on. However, it is our liver that works the hardest in the body and performs approximately 500 or more functions from storing sugar, minerals and vitamins as fuel for the body. It also controls the production and excretion of cholesterol etc. The liver contains bile stored in the gallbladder, and this helps to break down fats.

Just like the heart, the liver also gets stressed, but unlike a stressed heart, the symptoms of a distressed liver show up very late. Stress in the liver shows up when the liver is overworked and sluggish. This organ filters out all foreign particles such as food additives, tobacco, alcohol and environmental factors.

Liver Stress Signs

So how do we know if our liver is in distress? Here are seven crucial signs of a stressed liver that we should never ignore:

1. Your skin colour changes

Have you noticed skin discolouration? If yes, then it is the first sign of a liver in distress. If your skin colour changes to jaundice yellow or pale with a blue tinge, or if your nails or fingertips turn yellow, or if there is yellowing of the eyes there is trouble brewing. This change in colour happens because the body is unable to flush out the toxins. When these toxins accumulate over a period, they cause bilirubin to develop under the skin causing discolouration.

2. Suffering from digestion problems

Feel bloated frequently and suffer from constipation too? If you face everyday indigestion issues, it is a sign of a stressed liver. With bloating, you may experience gas and stomach pain as well. This happens because the bile is unable to break down the food and lubricate the intestines.

Another important sign is Spider naevi. Spider angiomas are a collection of blood vessels under the surface of your skin that resembles a spider. Angiomas are red to purple marks on your skin. These are often present in excessive number in people with liver disease

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD

3. Pains and body aches

The liver purifies the blood and produces new blood as well. But when under stress, the liver is unable to provide new blood to the muscles, tissues and tendons. This harms our flexibility, causing pain in the upper back and even dry eyes. Continuous pain of this kind will result in fatigue.

Liver function tests are commonly recommended blood tests for measuring different enzymes, proteins and other substances made by the liver. Changes noticed in liver function tests should be reviewed by a physician to find the cause and manage the condition.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D.

4. Fatigue

Do you feel tired and drained out all the time? This can be chronic fatigue and a clear indicator that the liver is under stress. The liver feels stressed as the body works very hard to repair the damages. As the body works overtime, it can stress the other organs too and therefore; it results in tiredness. It is best to get your liver checked at this point.

5. Darker urine

Is your urine darker than usual? If yes, then you may not be drinking enough water, and it may cause your stools to be darker too. It could also have blood spots in it. But if you start drinking water and these change, then all is well.  If not, seek medical help right away.

The culture of fast foods these days is slowly damaging the liver due to non alcoholic fatty liver disease,Avoiding refined sugar and fast food diet,eating before dusk helps a lot in prevention of fat accumulation in liver which can allay liver stress symptoms(by promoting weight loss)

Dr. Nikhil Yadav, MBBS MD, CCEBDM

6. Mood swings

Mood swings occur when we are unhappy or stressed. So, when the liver is stressed, it can disturb our emotional health. Emotions like anger, impatience, irritability and depression are common symptoms when the liver is in distress. Worse, it can affect your decision-making abilities and cause brain fog. It may even result in aggression and nasty outburst.

7. Look out for these signs

A stressed liver impacts the overall body functions – it may cause ringing in the ears, insomnia, dizziness, blurry vision, allergies, no sex drive, internal or intestinal bleeding, sensitivities to chemicals, PMS, drastic weight loss and spider veins.

8. Loss of Appetite

Another warning sign of liver distress is little to no interest in food. Loss of appetite is always a sign of some underlying health condition and should never be ignored. 

9. Irregular Sleep Cycles

Although irregular sleep pattern is a common occurrence amongst millennials due to a stressed lifestyle, a study found that liver cirrhosis was responsible for unusual sleep patterns in many patients.

10. Failing Memory

When you are suffering internally from liver fatigue internally, the organs are incapable of detoxing the blood. When toxins are not timely removed from the blood, it leads to hepatic encephalopathy which is a kind of build-up in the brain triggering memory loss. Hepatic encephalopathy could also make it difficult for you to concentrate. 

11. Skin Itchiness

Abnormal skin itchiness is a sign of liver cirrhosis. 

12. Sudden Weight Gain

When you have liver cirrhosis, it gradually develops in your body, replacing the healthy liver tissue with damaged ones. This inhibits blood flow from the lever and makes it difficult for the organ to function properly. 

13. Palms Turn Red

Experts believe that when you develop nonalcoholic fatty liver disease your palms start to turn red an outward indicator of the distress inside of you. This means an excess fat build-up in the liver cells of people who do not even look at a bottle of alcohol. 

14. Enlarged Breast in Men

Another warning sign of the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the appearance of enlarged breasts in mem. This happens due to excess growth of the gynecomastia tissues as a result of testosterone and estrogen discord.  

15. Easy Skin Bruises 

Liver damage often surfaces in the form of easy and sudden skin bruises. 

16. Swelling

 Another sign of unexplained liver disease is the sudden swelling in regions around your ankles and legs.  

17. Chills

Experiencing chills is often a natural response of the body when the mercury drops or when you are developing a fever. However, if none of this fits the bill for your sudden and regular chills it could indicate cholestasis during liver disease.

If you have faced any of these symptoms or are unsure as you encounter some of them, do seek medical help. Consult your doctor today or a liver specialist. Also, it is best to make regular health check-ups a habit.

Please note Images are used for editorial representation only. Source: Google.

Also Read: What Does Liver Pain Feel Like? Symptoms and Possible Conditions Explained

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