The liver is one of the hardest-working organs in the body.
It helps digest food, filters toxins from the blood, stores nutrients, and produces proteins that support many essential body functions.
When the liver becomes badly damaged over many years, it may eventually stop working properly, leading to liver failure.
End-stage liver disease rarely happens overnight. Instead, liver damage often builds up slowly because of conditions such as chronic hepatitis, heavy alcohol use, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Early symptoms can be mild, making the disease difficult to recognize.
As liver failure progresses, jaundice often appears. The skin and eyes become yellow because bilirubin is no longer removed effectively from the blood.
Many patients also develop a swollen abdomen caused by fluid build-up, known as ascites, together with swelling of the legs and ankles.
Brain function may also change. A condition called hepatic encephalopathy develops when toxins that should have been removed by the liver reach the brain. People may become forgetful, confused, unusually sleepy, or behave differently from normal. Severe cases can lead to unconsciousness.
Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, muscle weakness, and overwhelming fatigue are also common as the liver loses its ability to support the body’s normal functions.
Because the damaged liver cannot produce enough clotting proteins, people may bruise easily or experience bleeding from the gums, nose, stomach, or intestines. Persistent itching is another common symptom because bile products build up in the skin.
Some patients also develop kidney failure, called hepatorenal syndrome, which greatly increases the seriousness of the illness.
Doctors diagnose liver failure using blood tests, scans, and other examinations. Treatment focuses on slowing liver damage, managing complications, treating the underlying disease, and assessing whether a liver transplant is necessary. Research and guidance from organizations including the American Liver Foundation show that prompt medical care can improve outcomes.
Anyone with yellow skin, severe swelling, confusion, unusual bleeding, or other signs of advanced liver disease should seek immediate medical attention. Early treatment offers the best chance of improving health and survival.
If you care about liver health, please read studies that refined fiber is link to liver cancer, and the best and worst foods for liver health.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to boost your liver naturally, and simple ways to detox your liver.
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