Signs and symptoms of liver disease include:
- Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)
- Abdominal pain and swelling
- Swelling in the legs and ankles
- Itchy skin
- Dark urine colour
- Pale stool colour, or bloody or tar-coloured stool
- Chronic fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Tendency to bruise easily
Liver disease has many causes.
- Infection - Parasites and viruses can infect the liver, causing inflammation and that reduces liver function. The viruses that cause liver damage can be spread through blood or semen, contaminated food or water, or close contact with a person who is infected. The most common types of liver infection are hepatitis viruses, including: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C
- Immune system abnormality - Diseases in which your immune system attacks certain parts of your body (autoimmune) can affect your liver. Examples of autoimmune liver diseases include: Autoimmune hepatitis
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Genetics - An abnormal gene inherited from one or both of your parents can cause various substances to build up in your liver, resulting in liver damage. Genetic liver diseases include: Hemochromatosis, Hyperoxaluria and Oxalosis Wilson`s disease
- Cancer and other growths - Liver cancer, Bile duct cancer, Liver adenoma
- Chronic alcohol abuse
- Fat accumulating in the liver (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease)
Factors that may increase your risk of liver disease include:
- Heavy alcohol use
- Injecting drugs using shared needles
- Tattoos or body piercings
- Blood transfusion before 1992
- Exposure to other people`s blood and body fluids
- Unprotected sex
- Exposure to certain chemicals or toxins
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- High levels of triglycerides in your blood
Complications of liver disease vary, depending on the cause of your liver problems. Untreated liver disease may progress to liver failure, a life-threatening condition.
