Understanding Liver Disease: Symptoms, Causes & Early Warning Signs

The liver fights infection, digests food, cleans the blood and stores energy. Liver disease in humans is a gradual process that can be life threatening if left untreated. There are a number of causes for liver disease, including hepatitis and excessive alcohol consumption.

Initial Symptoms

• The initial symptoms of liver disease are usually nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite and tiredness. These are symptoms for many other conditions as well.

Continued Symptoms

• Jaundice is a common symptom of liver disease. This is the yellowing of the skin and the mucous of the eyes. Urine is dark brown or black in color.

Liver Enlargement

• The liver can enlarge, causing abdominal discomfort. Besides being tender and uncomfortable, there may not be any other symptoms associated with the enlarged liver.

Causes

• Besides hepatitis and alcohol consumption, malnutrition and cirrhosis cause liver disease. Wilson's disease, a high accumulation of copper in the body, causes liver disease as well.

Treatment

• Treatment of the liver depends upon the other conditions associated with the liver such as hepatitis. Some treatments may include ribavirin, lamivudine, steroids and antibiotics.