"They're common on the chest and torso," she adds.
#Which side should i sleep on if i have liver damage skin#
These sorts of clotting issues can result in "spider angiomas," or large skin blemishes that resemble spiders or asterisks, she explains. If your liver is not properly cleaning your blood, you could have clotting issues near the surface of your skin, Wakim-Fleming says. 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. MORE: What The Color Of Your Pee Says About Your HealthĪrthritis-like joint pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and loss of appetite are all interrelated symptoms of liver disease-particularly autoimmune hepatitis, Wakim-Fleming explains. "Dark urine and light feces are also signs of jaundice," she adds. (Here are 10 things the color of your eyes can say about you.) This is jaundice. 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. When your body breaks down old blood cells, one of the byproducts created is a yellowish compound called bilirubin. ( Find out the difference between 7 types of abdominal pain.) If it's damaged or inflamed, you may feel it there, he 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. Abdominal achesįeeling sore, swollen, or achy in the "right upper quadrant" of your abdomen is a sign your liver might be in peril, Bacon says. If you experience any of these, get yourself to a doctor on the double. There are also a handful of common symptoms associated with liver disease. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play (Over 50? Make sure you're getting these 5 blood tests.) Bacon also recommends regular checkups with your doctor, which can allow him or her to spot blood markers of unrecognized or impending liver issues.
The various forms of hepatitis, as well as excessive drinking, are other common causes of liver problems, he says.ĭrinking in moderation, sticking to a healthy diet, and getting plenty of exercise is your best defense against liver problems, Wakim-Fleming says. "Some estimates suggest up to 25 million people have fatty liver disease," he adds. Patients with liver cirrhosis are at significant risk for liver cancer and may eventually require a transplant, Wakim-Fleming says.įatty liver disease-which often goes hand in hand with obesity-is the most common cause of liver issues, Bacon says. Think of cirrhosis as arthritis of your liver once it settles in, you're in trouble. (Feel better starting today with Rodale's The Thyroid Cure, a new book that's helped thousands of people finally solve the mystery of what's ailing them.)Ĭirrhosis is a type of serious liver deterioration that results from a long-standing disease or injury, says Jamile Wakim-Fleming, MD, a liver disease expert at Cleveland Clinic. By the time you're showing signs or symptoms of liver problems-whether due to hepatitis, fatty liver disease, or something else-chances are good that cirrhosis has already set in, he says. " Hepatitis C used to be called the 'silent epidemic' because many people who had it weren't aware of it," Bacon explains. But that's not the case, says Bruce Bacon, MD, a professor of internal medicine and chair of gastroenterology at the St.
And those are just a few of its many essential duties.Ĭonsidering your liver's outsize role in keeping you hale and healthy, you'd think even small problems with it would stand out. Your liver not only acts as a filter for your blood, but it also produces hormones, stores energy, and makes compounds that allow your gut to digest food. But sit down with a doctor, and she'll tell you your body already has a built-in, ultra-effective toxin remover: your liver. Hucksters selling bogus health products (like juice cleanses) love to talk about all the "toxins" in your body-toxins their products will supposedly remove.
0 kommentar(er)
