Early Signs of Liver Damage

What’s in this article

What is liver damage?
Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Amsety Bars for liver health

What is liver damage?
The liver is an extremely important organ which performs over 500 different functions, without it you would not be able to live. That is why it is important to look after your liver and to pay attention to any signs or symptoms you may have regarding liver damage. Liver damage can include a number of things such as heredity, toxicity (due to chemicals or viruses) or from liver disease such as Cirrhosis.

Signs and symptoms
Liver damage often does not show any symptoms at all, however, the following symptoms may also appear:

abdominal swelling
bruising
yellowing of the skin (jaundice)
fatigue and weakness
loss of appetite
nausea and or vomiting
irritated and or itchy skin
Fluid retention
changes in urine color (to dark)
Pale stool

If you experience any of the above symptoms or you think you may have damage to your liver then contact your doctor immediately.

Diagnosis
If your doctor thinks that you may have liver damage then they will suggest that you go for a number of tests. These tests can range from non-invasive tests such as a CT scan, ultrasound or x-ray to more invasive tests such as blood tests or a liver biopsy. Blood tests are usually the first step in diagnosing liver damage as your doctor will be able to read the levels of enzymes (AST and ALT levels). Once your doctor has determined the cause of your symptoms or whether you have liver damage they will proceed with appropriate treatment.

Treatment and prevention
Treatment for liver damage will depend on the reason for the liver damage. With many liver diseases, one of the most impactful things you can do is amend your diet and lifestyle. Nutrition is one of the most important factors in liver health along with exercise. You should abstain from smoking cigarettes and consuming alcohol as both are very harmful to the liver. If the liver damage has led to scarring of the liver then this will be a lifelong problem and cannot be reversed. To learn more about scarring of the liver (liver cirrhosis) then click here. Amsety provides a number of tasty recipes especially for those suffering from liver problems.

Amsety Bars for liver health
At Amsety we care about your liver health and that is why we have come up with our delicious peanut butter superstar and dark chocolate champion bars. Each bar is very low in sodium, contains no refined sugars, is gluten-free, non-GMO, Kosher and organic. To make things even better we have worked alongside health professionals to create the perfect Super 16 Vitamin and Mineral Mix®. This mix consists of sixteen vitamins and minerals specifically chosen to benefit liver health.