Chronic inflammatory liver diseases are often accompanied by behavior alterations including fatigue, mood disorders, cognitive dysfunction and sleep disturbances. These altered behaviors can adversely affect patient quality of life.
Cognitive health is directly affected by liver health. The accumulation of toxins, in liver disease, can be associated with chemical disturbances in the brain which lead to forgetfulness, trouble concentrating, confusion, and behavioural disturbance, and is typically known as hepatic encephalopathy (HE).
Hepatic encephalopathy presents occurs as a result of cirrhosis – severe liver disease. Severe onset often causes extreme personality changes, confusion, confused speech, anxiety and lethargy in patients and can develop into coma and even death.
If your liver is sluggish, you are not only more likely to struggle with your weight, you are more likely to be moody and out of balance with life in general.
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.
Anger is the emotion of the liver and the gallbladder, organs associated with the wood element. Emotions like rage, fury or aggravation can indicate that this energy is in excess, and when we experience these emotions consistently, our liver can get damaged.
5 In TCM, the liver is associated with anger, depression, and the below physical symptoms: Emotions: Anger, resentment, frustration, irritability, bitterness, and "flying off the handle"
According to TCM theory, anger is related to the Liver and the wood element. The wood element is all about growth and expansive movement, and the Liver directs this internally, both physically and emotionally.
Anxiety was significantly higher in patients with fatty liver disease (aOR = 1.30, P = . 031), and the risk of depression was significantly higher in patients with chronic hepatitis C (aOR = 2.18, P = . 005).
Depression and anxiety disorder are frequently seen in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Buildup of toxins in the brain (hepatic encephalopathy).
A liver damaged by cirrhosis isn't able to clear toxins from the blood as well as a healthy liver can. These toxins can then build up in the brain and cause mental confusion and difficulty concentrating.
Pooled prevalence of depression was 18.21% (CI: 11.12–28.38%) in patients with NAFLD and 40.68% (CI: 25.11–58.37%) in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NAFLD resulted in significantly higher risk of development of depression (OR: 1.29, CI: 1.02–1.64, p = 0.03).
If the liver fails due to alcohol misuse or hepatitis, ammonia can accumulate in the bloodstream and eventually end up in the brain. – When this happens, patients become confused and the brain becomes swollen. Patients can change personality and become irritable and aggressive.
Hepatic encephalopathy
This allows harmful chemicals to build up in the bloodstream. It generally occurs in people who have advanced hepatitis, cirrhosis, or another chronic liver disease. Symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy include: worsening brain fog.
Emotional information is stored through “packages” in our organs, tissues, skin, and muscles. These “packages” allow the emotional information to stay in our body parts until we can “release” it. Negative emotions in particular have a long-lasting effect on the body.
Minding our thoughts and our diets represents the key to a healthy liver. Here are some suggestions for releasing anger and resentment: Physical exercise, such as cardio, running or kickboxing. Shouting in a safe environment, such as a forest or closed room or closed car.
An inflamed liver has become enlarged beyond the size of a normal organ of its type. It is typically a sign of a more serious health condition. Illnesses or diseases that lead to an inflamed liver could also produce other symptoms. Symptoms of an inflamed liver can include: Feelings of fatigue.
The limbic system is a group of interconnected structures located deep within the brain. It's the part of the brain that's responsible for behavioral and emotional responses.
Signs You Might Be Suffering From A Sluggish Liver. Fatigue, dark circles under the eyes, depression, hormonal imbalances, muscle, and joint pains, skin problems, and headaches can all come from the same source: poor liver health function.
You tend to get symptoms if your liver becomes more severely damaged. The main symptoms of cirrhosis include: tiredness and weakness. feeling sick (nausea) and loss of appetite resulting in weight loss.
So what does liver pain feel like? It manifests in different ways, but a common form is a dull throbbing. For some people, it occurs as a sharp, stabbing pain. Sometimes the pain migrates to other nearby areas, such as the right shoulder blade and the back.