Jaundice. If you have it, you may notice that your skin and the whites of your eyes look yellowish. This happens when your liver doesn't work well enough to break down a chemical called bilirubin. If too much of it builds up in your blood, your skin can turn yellow.
Chronic liver disease of any origin can cause typical skin findings. Jaundice, spider nevi, leuconychia and finger clubbing are well known features (Figures 1 a, b and Figure 2). Palmar erythema, “paper-money” skin (Figure 3), rosacea and rhinophyma are common but often overlooked by the busy practitioner.
Acute liver failure can develop quickly in an otherwise healthy person, and it is life-threatening. If you or someone you know suddenly develops a yellowing of the eyes or skin; tenderness in the upper abdomen; or any unusual changes in mental state, personality or behavior, seek medical attention right away.
The commonest symptom in patients with liver disease is pruritus which is often protracted and disabling. Other common features include spider angiomas, palmar erythema, paper money skin, xanthelasmas, pigmentary changes, and nutritional deficiencies.
Many skin conditions – from acne to eczema to psoriasis – can be linked to poor liver function. A tired, overworked liver can lead to dry, itchy skin, acne, and a dull complexion. Everything you eat, drink, and consume is processed by your liver, so it's important to keep it as healthy as possible.
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.
Acute liver failure causes fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, discomfort on your right side, just below your ribs, and diarrhea. Acute liver failure is a serious condition. It requires medical care right away. If treatments are not effective, you may be a candidate for a liver transplant.
Pain in your liver itself can feel like a dull throbbing pain or a stabbing sensation in your right upper abdomen just under your ribs. General abdominal pain and discomfort can also be related to swelling from fluid retention and enlargement of your spleen and liver caused by cirrhosis.
There are at-home liver panel tests that can determine liver function by screening for proteins and enzymes like albumin, globulin, ALP, ALT, and GGT. These tests use a finger-prick sample and include materials to collect and send your specimen to the lab. You can order a liver panel from home and get tested in a lab.
Stage 1: Inflammation
In the early stages of liver disease, the liver will become swollen or inflamed as the body's natural response to injury. Liver inflammation, or hepatitis, can also occur when there are more toxins in the blood than the liver is able to manage. The earlier the diagnosis, the better.
Liver spots are flat, brown or black spots that can appear on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun. They have nothing to do with the liver or liver function. Lentigos, sometimes called age spots or freckles, are a result of cumulative damage to the skin by sunlight.
Acute liver failure can happen in as little as 48 hours. It's important to seek medical treatment at the first signs of trouble. These signs may include fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and discomfort in your right side, just below your ribs.
The liver damage associated with mild alcoholic hepatitis is usually reversible if you stop drinking permanently. Severe alcoholic hepatitis, however, is a serious and life-threatening illness.
Your liver can keep working even if part of it is damaged or removed. But if it starts to shut down completely—a condition known as liver failure—you can survive for only a day or 2 unless you get emergency treatment.
Blood tests used to assess the liver are known as liver function tests. But liver function tests can be normal at many stages of liver disease. Blood tests can also detect if you have low levels of certain substances, such as a protein called serum albumin, which is made by the liver.
Damage to the liver may lead to yellowing of the eyes
One of the symptoms of hepatitis is the yellowing of the whites of the eyes. It occurs due to increased bilirubin levels in the body. Bilirubin is a byproduct of red blood cells.
This is because the liver is removing toxins 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the bloodstream, which otherwise can cause inflammation in the skin and eyes. The liver is also breaking down hormones such as aldosterone, which can lead to fluid retention if allowed to build up in the bloodstream.
Liver failure can affect many of your body's organs. Acute liver failure can cause such complications as infection, electrolyte deficiencies and bleeding. Without treatment, both acute and chronic liver failure may eventually result in death.
Dull pain in your abdomen is one of the first signs of a potentially serious problem. Jaundice is the yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes that occurs when your liver fails to remove bilirubin from the body. Bleeding or easy bruising can occur when the liver fails to produce adequate blood clotting proteins.