5 Signs You Have Liver Damage Without Even Knowing It
The key functions of the liver are to detoxify your blood and to enhance your digestive system by creating bile, which helps to break down the fats that you consume into small pieces, making them easier for your small intestine to absorb.
But that’s not all. Here is a quick summary of what else your liver does for you:
- It stores some of your body’s vitamins and iron
- It stores glucose
- It converts glucose into sugar that the body can use when the body’s sugar levels become depleted
- It processes hemoglobin, insulin, and a variety of other hormones
- It converts ammonia into urea
- It eliminates old red blood cells
5 signs of liver damage
Bruises
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, people with liver damage tend to bruise or bleed easily due to the compromised function of their liver which has inhibited the production of proteins needed for blood clotting.
Itch
Liver disease is listed as an underlying cause of itchy skin by the Mayo Clinic, as well as cancer, thyroid problems, and kidney failure. The itching usually affects the whole body. The skin may look otherwise normal except for the repeatedly scratched areas.
Swelling
When the liver isn’t able to do its job, people may start to retain water in their abdomens and legs, causing swelling, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Turning yellow
Skin yellowing is one of the first signs of liver damage. This happens as a result of bilirubin build up, as a damaged liver is unable to filter out toxins properly. Bilirubin is a form of bile pigment, which accumulates in the blood when liver function is compromised and the liver can’t remove the bilirubin. Bile is secreted by the liver to help digestion.
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