Symptoms of Liver Problems – How to Know if You Need a Natural Liver Detox
There are many symptoms of liver problems to keep an eye out for, as the liver is an important part of your body (See Where is Your Liver to find out more).
Using a natural liver detox to deal with symptoms of liver damage is a great way to get rid of the signs of liver damage.
You can also use methods like a juice liver cleanser, a liver cleansing diet, and a liver builder to help you restore your liver if you are noticing signs of liver problems.
Want an awesome fact about your liver? Did you know that the liver is capable of regrowing itself if even as little as 25% remains? That means you can have three quarters of your liver taken out (or donated to someone else), and the last quarter of your liver will regrow itself back to normal if it is healthy.
As you can see, the liver is really an amazing organ, kind of like the Wolverine (Thank you Marvel comics) of your body. However, it is important to take care of it and feed it the right things, so below you will find everything you need to know about how to determine if your liver is acting up…
Symptoms of Liver Problems: Obviously Problematic Liver Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of liver problems are more obvious, and these are the ones that are usually associated with severe liver problems.
However, these symptoms of liver problems are easy to spot, and you should be able to tell right away if your liver is giving you problems.
Change in Skin Color: Obvious Symptoms of Liver Problems no. 1
One of the main liver symptoms that are very visible is the discoloration of your skin.
Your skin often turns a sort of sickly yellow tinged with blue, which is very obviously not your natural, rosy skin color.
Your finger tips or finger nails may also turn the same yellow color.
The reason that your skin is turning yellow is due to the fact that your liver is not able to get rid of the toxins in your body (one of your liver’s main functions), and thus the toxins are accumulating and causing something called bilirubin to build up under your skin.
What Gets out Your Other End Turns Very Dark: Obvious Symptoms of Liver Problems no. 2
Another very obvious sign of liver problems is that your urine and fecal matter looks very out of the ordinary.
Your urine may become very dark, even darker than its usual color when you don’t get enough water.
Your feces may look like a very dark, tar consistency, a lighter pale, or have spots of blood in it.
If you are sure that you are getting enough fluids in your diet, the change in your excretions will be a good indicator that you may be suffering from liver problems.
Feeling Very Tired: Obvious Symptoms of Liver Problems no. 3
Many people also feel that they are always very tired, usually called fatigue or exhaustion. You may be chronically tired, and this is a good indication that there may be something wrong with your liver.
If your liver is in trouble, your body is probably working on repairing it. If the body is working too hard to repair your liver, it will overload all the other systems and cause you to feel very tired.
If this symptom presents itself along with other symptoms of liver problems, you may want to get your liver checked out.
Bloated Stomach: Obvious Symptoms of Liver Problems no. 4
Finally, the last, and one of the most obvious of the symptoms of liver problems is a bloating of your stomach, often accompanied by stomach pain, cramps in your stomach, and extra gas.
The reason that you may develop this very obvious symptom is due to the fact that fluid is accumulating within the walls of your abdomen, and the problem could actually make it hard for you to breathe properly if the fluid builds up too much and starts pressing on your lungs.
Less Obvious Symptoms of Liver Damage
The liver symptoms above were the much more visible problems, but there are a few other symptoms of liver problems that are much less visible in nature:
- Sensitive Skin – If you are having liver problems, your skin may be very sensitive or feel like it is itching all the time. This is also due to the toxin buildup under your skin, and you would do well to have yourself checked out if you feel that your skin is very sensitive or itchier than it should be.
- Intestinal Bleeding – If you can see blood in your feces, it is likely that you are bleeding from your intestines. This is a common sign of liver damage, and is something that you would do well to address immediately.
- Lower Sex Drive – All the toxins in your body are usually purged by your liver, but the fact that your liver isn’t working properly means that your body is keeping toxins inside. This throws off your internal balances, including your hormonal balances. Your hormones control your sex drive, and thus your sex drive may be affected by your liver problems.
- Spider Veins – If your liver is acting up, some of the toxins might get into your bloodstream. If they do, you may notice that there are tiny spider veins under your skin, and you may bruise more easily than you normally do.
- Weight Loss – When your liver acts up, your body can’t function properly and thus begins to kind of shut down. One side effect of this shutting down is weight loss, as your body cannot properly absorb and use all the nutrients you are ingesting. This weight loss is usually accompanied by extreme fatigue.
These symptoms are usually ascribed to either cirrhosis or Hepatitis, but some of them may be caused by other forms of liver damage.
Whatever the cause, it is still of the utmost importance that you get your liver checked out as soon as possible.
Fatty Liver Symptoms – Other Symptoms of Liver Problems
One thing that many overweight people many face is a fatty liver.
Fatty liver is what happens when you have too much fat floating around your body, usually in the form of serum cholesterol and fat or cholesterol from the food you eat.
There is alcoholic liver disease, but fatty liver disease is often found in people that drink little or no alcohol.
It can be caused by the apoptosis (death) of your liver cells, too many toxins being produced by too much fat, or oxidative stress.
Too much fat can cause problems in your liver, and the fatty liver symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Losing your appetite or weight
- Confusion, trouble focusing, or impaired judgment
- Weakness
- Vomiting and nausea
- Pain on the right side or in the middle of your stomach
- A very enlarged liver
- Discoloration of your skin, usually in very dark patches under your arms or on your neck
It is essential to watch for these symptoms, as they can indicate that fatty liver disease is much more serious than it is in normal people.
Many of the people with fatty liver disease have no problems with these symptoms, but these signs of liver damage indicate that there is something more serious going on.
The Importance of Watching for Signs of Liver Damage
“Why watch for these signs of liver damage?” you may ask. “After all, the doctors can just heal me using medications and drugs, right?”
The answer is, yes, they usually can, but sometimes the liver damage gets out of control.
Some people avoid dealing with the symptoms of liver problems for so long that their liver is completely destroyed, and the doctors have to remove their liver and get a transplant. Liver transplants are usually easier than other forms of transplants, but it can still be costly and time consuming.
Toxins and the Domino Effect
In addition, the symptoms of liver problems may just be the surface of the problem, and the fact that your body is full of toxins can cause many more problems. Imagine that the toxins are like strong chemicals floating around inside your plumbing, like when you flush chemicals down the sink or toilet to melt whatever is clogging up your pipes.
Usually you let the chemicals sit in the pipes for at least a few hours, but then you have to be certain to flush all the chemicals out of the pipes in order to avoid corrosion of metal pipes or melting of PVC pipes. If you don’t get rid of the chemicals from your pipes, they may eat through the pipe and start causing problems in other parts of your house.
The same is true for liver problems as the toxins in your body will start causing problems in all kinds of unexpected places.
Many people with liver problems break out in acne, start having muscle problems, or even having problems with their lungs. This is because the liver is responsible for getting rid of all the strong chemicals in your body and a malfunctioning liver can’t get rid of all the toxins that can cause these problems.
How to Avoid Symptoms of Liver Problems
If you want to avoid any signs of liver problems, prevent the liver problems from arising in the first place.
Don’t know how to take care of your liver?
Easy, (besides a liver detox diet which we will get to in a bit) here are some, and perhaps obvious guidelines:
- Don’t Mix Drugs and Alcohol – Many people take drugs like Tylenol or aspirin to deal with headaches, but they drink only a few hours after taking the meds. This can put an extra strain on your liver, and the cocktail can do serious damage to the cells in your liver.
Always avoid drinking when taking drugs, for your liver’s sake at least.
- Don’t Over Drink – There is nothing like a few beers to relax on the weekend, a drink or two to end the day, or a nice glass of wine to celebrate a special occasion. However, drinking in moderation is the best way to avoid damaging your liver, and it is important that you avoid overdrinking.
Stick with one or two drinks a day to keep your liver safe, and you will avoid weight gain and cholesterol problems as well.
- Stay Away from Pollutants – There are many things floating around in the air that can infuse your body with toxins, and some of these things can’t be avoided. However, you would do well to avoid pollutants as much as possible, as the toxins that get absorbed into your body go straight to your liver.
Be wary when using chemicals, paint thinner, aerosol sprays, bug sprays, and other things that can cause toxins to be absorbed into your skin.
Taking these few precautions may be enough to prevent your liver damage from worsening, or possibly even stop the liver damage from taking place.
Your liver is damaged by strong chemicals and toxins, and avoiding these strong substances above will help you to keep your liver functioning properly.
What is a Liver Function Test?
A liver function tests is a test designed to determine how well your liver is functioning. No surprise there!
Enzymes are taken from your blood, along with proteins. The tests are given to figure out if your liver is damaged, monitor the changes in your liver’s condition, and determine what the cause of the liver problems may be.
Only some of the liver function tests actually test the liver itself, while others test the enzymes that are released by the liver to determine if they are being produced by a normal liver or by one that has been damaged.
The tests help to determine if your liver is healthy, but it can also indicate other disorders like bone disease.
A liver function test is also used to test for hepatitis, monitor how a disease like cirrhosis is progressing, measure just how severe a liver disease is, and see just what kind of positive and negative effects the medications you are taking is having on your liver.
Your Liver Cleansing Diet to Rid Yourself of Symptoms of Liver Problems
If you want to reduce the symptoms of liver problems, a liver cleansing diet is just what the doctor calls for. And it’s all natural, too!
A liver cleansing diet is actually quite easy to follow, and it includes lots of tasty, healthy stuff, such as:
- Fiber – Fiber absorbs all the toxins and sends them out the digestive system, thus helping to restore your liver to optimum condition.
- Cruciferous Vegetables – Rather than opting for crunchies like chips, crunchy vegetables are the way to go.
- Protein – The liver detox gets rid of all your toxins, but protein is included in any good liver cleansing diet of the simple reason that the liver runs on protein.
- Fat – Certain good fats like Omega 3 will help you to cleanse your liver, and you will find that eating these foods is the way to go.
This is a simple diet, but will be effective at helping to cleanse your liver.
A Great Liver Builder – Milk Thistle to Repair Your Liver
The liver is the only organ in the body that can rebuild itself, but milk thistle is a great supplement that acts as a liver builder to help restore your liver.
It won’t work to do the rebuilding, but it will provide the detoxification and the help the liver needs to repair itself. It also helps to protect your liver from further problems.
A Juice Liver Cleanser
Using a Juice liver cleanser is a great way to flush all the toxins out of your body. There are two reasons the juice liver cleanser is so effective:
1. The juice cleanse contains almost no fats, toxins, or chemicals, as the juices are made from natural fruits and vegetables.
2. The juices you drink are incredibly rich in nutrients like Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid – all of which are found in fruits and vegetables. Raw foods are also incredibly high in fiber, and you can get rid of all the toxins effectively by using the juice cleanse to flush out your system will high doses of fiber.
Effective – yes.
Easy – yes, if you like raw food – not so much if you like pre-processed food.
Check with your doctor before trying a cleanse.
The Best Foods for Liver Health and Avoiding Symptoms of Liver Problems
There are some things to eat that will be the best foods for liver health, and these include:
- Foods that are orange, such as carrots, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, mangoes, pumpkins, and apricots. The color orange means there is lots of beta-carotene in the food.
- Lycopene is an important nutrient, and it can be found in watermelons, tomatoes, oranges, papayas, and guavas.
- Vitamin A can be found in carrots, sweet potatoes, milk, certain types of cheese, egg yolks, and liver.
- Vitamin E is usually found in natural foods that are high in fat, such as nuts, broccoli, natural oils, mangos, and others.
- Vitamin C will help to rejuvenate your liver, and you should eat lots of citrus fruits to get plenty of this vitamin.
What Would You Like to Read Now After This Article on Symptoms of Liver Problems?
Keys to a Liver Detox Diet and Healthy Liver Diet
Healthy Liver Supplements: Your Detailed Guide to a Natural Liver Cleanse Diet
Guide to a Healthy Liver Diet: Make Your Own Liver Cleansing Diet
Lots of Healthy Liver Diet Tips and Free Liver Diet Examples
In-Depth Liver Cleanse Recipe Information: The Best Natural Liver Cleansing Tips for Liver Flushing and Detox
Your Guide to a Powerful Liver Cleanse Diet: Choose the Right Kinds of Fiber, Protein, Vegetables, Fruits and Fats in Your Healthy Liver Diet
The Effective Liver Diet: Step by Step Guidelines to a Natural Liver Detox Diet
The Research-Based Liver Flush Guide: Beyond the Myths of Radical Detox Methods
The Wonder of the Milk Thistle Liver Supplement for a Natural Liver Detox
Where is Your Liver Located, What is the Function of the Liver, and Other Liver Information
Symptoms of Liver Problems – How to Know if You Need a Natural Liver Detox
Taking a Liver Function Test – Catching Symptoms of Liver Problems Early On
Fatty Liver Diet Supplements, Herbs and Foods along with Insights into the Causes of Fatty Liver
Fatty Liver Disease in Depth: Typical Signs and Symptoms, Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Causes and Dietary & Medicine Treatments
Fatty Liver Causes: Alcoholic (AFLD) and Nonalcoholic (NAFLD) In-Depth
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