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You are here : Healthopedia.com > Medical Encyclopedia > Diseases and Conditions > Liver Disease: Symptoms & Signs
      Category : Health Centers > Digestive System

Liver Disease

Liver Disease | Symptoms & Signs | Diagnosis & Tests | Prevention & Expectations | Treatment & Monitoring | Pictures and Images | Attribution


What are the signs and symptoms of the disease?

Symptoms partly depend on the type and the extent of liver disease. In many cases, there may be no symptoms. Signs and symptoms that may occur include:

  • jaundice, or yellowing of the skin
  • darkened urine
  • nausea
  • loss of appetite
  • unusual weight loss or weight gain
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • light-colored stools
  • abdominal pain in the upper right part of the stomach
  • malaise, or a vague feeling of illness
  • generalized itching
  • varicose veins, or enlarged blood vessels
  • fatigue
  • hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar
  • mild low grade fever
  • muscle aches and pains
  • loss of sex drive
  • depression
  • A rare but severe form of the liver infection called acute fulminant hepatitis causes liver failure. Symptoms of liver failure include:

  • an enlarged and tender liver
  • enlarged spleen
  • susceptibility to bleeding
  • encephalopathy, which is a disorder that affects how the brain functions
  • changes in mental status or level of consciousness
  • ascites, which is an accumulation of fluid inside the abdomen
  • edema or swelling under the skin
  • aplastic anemia, a condition in which the bone marrow cannot make blood cells

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    Liver Disease: Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

     

    Liver Disease: Diagnosis & Tests

    Author: Eileen McLaughlin, RN, BSN
    Reviewer: Barbara Mallari, RN, BSN, PHN
    Date Reviewed: 07/13/01









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    Page Last Updated: 30th May, 2006