Warning Signs Of Liver Damage And Tips To Keep It Healthy
According to the American Liver Foundation, more than 100 million Americans have some form of liver damage, yet only 4.5 million have a medical diagnosis. If left untreated, a damaged liver can be fatal, so it’s essential to understand the signs of common liver diseases and what you can do to keep your liver healthy.
What Is Liver Damage?
The liver is a vital organ responsible for processing nutrients and filtering blood. Liver damage, or liver diseases, means your liver is not working properly or at its full potential. Many types of conditions affect the liver, including hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis.
- Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. This inflammation affects the liver’s function but, in many cases, doesn’t cause symptoms right away. The three common strains of hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Symptoms can vary among types of hepatitis but typically include fever, fatigue, nausea, dark urine, jaundice of the skin and eyes, and abdominal pain.
- Fatty Liver Disease occurs when fat builds up within the liver, affecting its function. In many cases, fatty liver disease has little to no symptoms, making it difficult to detect. Risk factors for fatty liver disease include type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
- Cirrhosis is when the liver has permanent scar damage that replaces healthy liver tissue and affects its ability to function normally. Cirrhosis is often a result of long-term liver damage, either from hepatitis or excess alcohol use. Symptoms include fatigue and itchy skin.
Signs Of Liver Damage
Signs of liver disease or damage may vary depending on the cause. However common, signs and symptoms of liver damage include:
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes
- Dark urine
- Itching
- Unexplained bruising
- Trouble retaining fluids
Liver damage can be life-threatening. If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, talk to your doctor to ensure proper treatment.
Tips For A Healthy Liver
Caring for your liver is the best way to reduce your chance of liver damage or disease. Implementing these tips for a healthy liver is never too late.
- Limit your alcohol use. Chronic alcohol use causes tissue injury of the liver, increasing your risk for liver damage and cirrhosis.
- Get vaccinated for hepatitis. Vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B are available. These vaccines are injected into the muscle and keep you safe from the condition.
- Exercise regularly. Incorporating daily movement, like walks, into your routine can reduce your risk of fatty liver disease by making it more challenging for fatty acids to build up in the liver.
- Don’t ignore symptoms. Many liver diseases are progressive, meaning they start slowly with little to no symptoms. This slow progression is why seeing a doctor about symptoms as soon as you notice them is important. The earlier you catch liver disease, the easier it is to treat.
Working With Visiting Angels
Living with liver damage can make it difficult to care for yourself. If you’re an older adult living in the Prescott area needing assistance with daily, nonmedical tasks, the Visiting Angels team of caregivers is here to help.
Visiting Angels is an at-home care agency dedicated to improving the quality of life among seniors in our community. We assist with various daily tasks like cooking, cleaning, and medication reminders. Our caregivers can assist with safe transportation to appointments or help run errands like grocery shopping. Clients requiring more hands-on care can also have a caregiver to help with personal grooming, showering, dressing, and mobility.
If you think working with a professional caregiver might be for you, contact our Prescott office to schedule a complimentary, at-home consultation.