Our body can tell us a lot about ourselves and while you might not be a doctor, there are signs that you should be able to identify so as to know if a person is suffering from a suspected condition or disease so as to encourage a person to visit the hospital for proper testing and diagnosis. In this post, I will look at signs that the body can show when a person is suffering from a liver disease.
Albumin is a protein produced by the liver and its function is to help maintain fluid balance and transport important substances to other part of the body but when this albumin is in low amount, sign can be seen by looking at fingernails. When ones health isn't doing good, the nails doesn't grow longer but that isn't it at all. A person with liver problem which can lead to reduced amount of albumin being produced can lead to Muehrcke's lines being seen on the nails instead of under the nails. The lines are suppose to be under the nails were applying pressure can temporarily cause the lines to disappear but when the tissues that houses the blood vessels underneath the nails change as a result of low albumin, it can lead to the lines being very visible.
Another way to identify a liver problem is when the nails of the two index fingers when placed against one another doesn't give a diamond opening. This happens as a result of clubbing which is the proliferation of the connective tissues between the nail and the finger bone making the nails thicker than normal and this is associated with heart, kidney, or liver problem but mind you, it can also be genetic. So in the case where it is not genetic, you should advise the person to see a doctor.
Another sign that a person is suffering from liver disease is Ascites which is the expansion of the abdomen as a result of fluid retention in it. The liver can hold up to 15 liters of fluid so seeing such should be a medical emergency as the blood with fluid that are suppose to flow through the portal veins are restricted by the liver stiffening leading to a leak from the portal vein into the abdomen causing it to swell. When next you see someone with a swollen abdomen, before you conclude that it is your village people, first go to the hospital and be sure that the liver and every other organ in the body is doing fine.
The blocking of the portal vein to send blood heart will also cause the body to find alternative routes to deliver this job and this is were other smaller veins are used and one place these veins are usually available at is close to the belly button and this is why you would see the veins very visible when the abdomen is enlarged and the vein goes through the body creating like a lightning pattern under the skin known as Caput Medusae.
Another sign that you might notice is redness of the palm as a result of dilated blood vessel known as Palmar Erythema as a result of high estrogen level. This is because the liver is responsible for breaking down estrogen but when it isn't broken down, it causes blood vessels to dilate. It is common in pregnant women but if it is seen in a person who isn't pregnant, advise them to see their physician immediately.
Still on estrogen, when the estrogen level is high, they can cause the blood vessel close to the skin to dilate creating a web-like patch on the skin known as spider nevi. Some one can have one or two spider nevi but when it starts to show up on different part of the body, then it is a sign that the liver is having a problem. If you see this in a pregnant woman, please let her be because she is just responding to the increased estrogen level in her body.
You must have heard about jaundice which is the yellowing of the skin and eye caused by bilirubin build up in the blood, and underneath the skin. If bilirubin build up increases more, it can show up in the urine s a dark yellow color. The liver is responsible for breaking down bilirubin but when the liver is not functioning properly, breaking down bilirubin becomes problematic and this is what leads to jaundice. I have heard people saying that staying close to a yellow painting either a house or a wall can cause you to have excess bilirubin in your bloodstream leading to jaundice but I have not seen any research that verifies this so it is a myth.
One could bruise themselves once in a while but when the bruising becomes consistent or big, then it calls for attention and should be investigated as it is a sign of liver disease. If your body is finding it hard to clot blood then this might be as a result of the liver not producing clotting factors which is a sign of liver disease. Platelet which also helps the body to clot would not be available because thrombopoietin which is made by the liver isn't being produce as a result of liver damage and so the bone marrow would not produce platelet.
Currently, there is no cure for liver disease except from liver transplant but the earlier it is spotted the better the chance of getting on the list for a donor but if you do not have a liver disease, then prevention is key. You should reduce the amount of alcohol taken but for real, I still do not understand the importance of it, maintaining a healthy weight, chronic viral disease like Hepatitis B and C and also lead to liver disease
Reference
https://www.hepatitis.va.gov/cirrhosis/patient/jaundice
https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/hepatic
https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/liver-and-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459198/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526080/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-related-liver-disease-arld/symptoms/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1419499/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/ascites
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3860926/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4510739/
https://patient.info/doctor/palmar-erythema
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548539
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10296738/
https://liver.org.au/your-liver/symptoms/bruising/
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