Many liver diseases are not detected until late in life. The treacherous thing about liver disease is that the liver has no pain sensation and sends no warning signs. Possible symptoms tend to be nonspecific. They are often classified as everyday complaints, such as “stress” or “chronic fatigue“.
Pay attention to unusual or new body signals. If you are unsure, talk to your doctor. A precise description of the symptoms enables the doctor to initiate further investigations. If you are aware of elevated liver values, the cause of this change must be investigated.
Symptoms of liver disease
Symptoms that may indicate liver or gallbladder disease:
- Constant fatigue, difficulty concentrating
- Feeling of pressure in the right upper abdomen
- Itching
- Clay-colored stools and beer-brown urine
- Loss of appetite, disgust for certain foods, especially meat.
- Weight changes, nausea and vomiting, abdominal bloating
- Nosebleeds and bruising
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes
- Frequent muscle and joint pain
- Decrease in body hair in the chest or abdominal area in men
- Frequent elevated liver enzymes gamma-GT, GOT and GPT.
If you have experienced these symptoms frequently, talk to your doctor.
Treatment of liver disease
There is no panacea for every liver disease. If a disease is diagnosed, treatment options vary depending on the cause – in some cases, they are completely opposite:
- For example, hepatitis C is currently treated primarily with drugs designed to stimulate the immune system against the virus (interferons).
- In autoimmune hepatitis, in which the patient’s own immune system attacks the liver, on the other hand, attempts are made to dampen the immune system.
- In obese patients with fatty liver hepatitis (NASH), a change in diet with gentle weight reduction is often the first priority.
Avoid additional burden on the liver
No matter what the cause of liver disease: Avoid substances that put additional strain on the liver. This includes alcohol in particular. Smoking can also make liver disease worse in some circumstances. Medications that are not absolutely necessary should also be avoided.
It becomes more difficult if you have to take medication because of another, serious illness and this puts a strain on the liver. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see if there are more compatible preparations. Under no circumstances should you stop taking important medications (for example, antihypertensives or epileptics) without consulting your doctor just because your liver values are elevated.
Who can help?
If you are concerned that you may have liver disease because of your symptoms or liver values, ask your doctor for advice. If in doubt, it may be wise to consult a specialist who studies the area in depth.
Specialists in liver disease include hepatologists and gastroenterologists. These work either in private practice or in hospitals. Contact a doctor you trust.
