“Research shows that fructose, a popular type of sugar, can damage the liver much like alcohol.” (www.CleanStartWeightLoss.com)
Your liver is one of the most
important organs in your body. Think of it as a filter that takes all of the
less than ideal elements that make their way into your system, and removes them
from the bloodstream. The liver is also responsible for storing your energy,
and producing compounds the body uses to effectively process your food.
It’s very important to maintain the
health of the liver. Given the popularity of many unhealthy foods and
beverages, the liver often takes abuse. Over time, this abuse can lead to the
liver’s deterioration and failure. But how do you know if your liver is in
trouble, and what are the signs of liver failure?
Abdominal pain: A sign of trouble
with the liver is a feeling of pain or general discomfort in the abdominal area of the body. If the problem is related to
the liver, you’ll feel soreness in the right upper part of your abdomen, which
is where the larger end of your liver resides. The soreness could indicate that
your liver has become swollen through some kind of damage, either through
over-consumption of alcohol, blunt force trauma, or something else.
If the swelling lasts
only a short time and doesn’t prevent you from completing routine daily
activities, such as going to work or cooking dinner, then it may not be
anything to worry about. However, if the soreness persists and does have a
visible impact on your lifestyle, it’s time to talk with a doctor about the
issue.
Darkened bodily fluids: By the time you’re an
adult, you have a pretty solid understanding of what to expect to see in the
toilet after going to the bathroom. It sounds odd, but over time, you become
quite familiar with the appearance of your bodily wastes. It also means you
should be able to realize when something looks wrong. If you’re having problems
with your liver, you can expect to see much darker urine and feces.
Your urine will
appear a deep, deep shade of yellow (almost dark gold). Meanwhile, your feces,
which should normally be some shade of brown, could actually begin to appear
yellow. If this occurs, it could be a sign that your liver is damaged and
struggling to process toxins in the body. Although it’s no guarantee there’s a
problem, it’s a good idea to discuss the matter with your doctor.
Difficulty thinking: Many of the most
visible symptoms of liver disease and liver failure affect the skin, eyes, and
even byproducts of the human body, but a diseased liver can also have a
demonstrative impact on the way you think. The problem is that a failing liver
can struggle to properly regulate all of the compounds in the body, leading to
serious problems.
For example, a
diseased liver could allow for too much copper in the bloodstream, and once
this copper reaches the brain, it can cause serious confusion. This could make
many common daily activities, such as going to the store or working out a
problem at home, far more difficult than they should be.
Joint pain: Joint pain is one of the most common kinds of pain,
particularly among people older than age 30. During middle age, many people
begin to develop joint-related health problems including arthritis. Often, these issues are limited to the joints
themselves and can be treated with over-the-counter medications. But sometimes,
joint pain is a sign of a much deeper and more sinister problem in the body.
In fact, joint pain
is a sign of liver damage and even liver failure. That’s because liver disease
can lead to autoimmune problems, whereby the immune system actually begins to
attack healthy cells. This problem can become visible in the form of
significant joint pain particularly when the patient is a woman.
Muscle degeneration: In the body of a
person with a healthy liver, all of the most important fluids are carefully
balanced, giving the individual what they need to live a healthy, active
lifestyle. However, because the liver acts as a filter for all of these various
fluids, such as bile and blood, any problem with the liver can have a huge
impact on the appearance and functioning of the body.
If the body’s fluids
are out of balance as a result of a damaged or failing liver, some parts of the
body may begin to waste away (while others grow). This could mean that an
individual’s muscles become weaker and weaker and smaller and smaller, while
their belly or ankles grow bigger. As time goes on, this imbalance can create
an unnatural, uncomfortable, and painful situation that requires a range of
costly and time-consuming treatments.
Skin blemishes: The skin of someone
with liver damage or liver failure can show blemishes that resemble spiders.
These images are formed by blood clotting just underneath the surface of the
skin. The problem is related to the functioning of the liver if it’s healthy. It
will clot blood when and where it needs to. If the liver is damaged, it may
struggle to properly clean and clot the blood, resulting in odd-shaped
blemishes on the skin.
Yellow eyes: Jaundice, which is
the result of the dysfunctional processing of the compound bilirubin, is one of
the most obvious signs that a person’s liver is damaged or even failing. The
most visible sign of jaundice is yellowing of the skin, but it can also take
the form of yellowed eyeballs. Should your liver have problems effectively
processing bilirubin, which is produced when the body breaks down aging red
blood cells, there’s a good chance your eyes will begin to appear yellow,
rather than the usual white. And that’s not all; jaundice could lead to a
darkening or yellowing of your body’s major byproducts, including urine and
feces.
Yellow skin: Many people
associate jaundice, or a yellowing of the skin, with liver problems and specifically
alcohol abuse. But why would a damaged liver have such an effect on the body?
How could it possibly lead the color of your skin to appear a shade of yellow? The
issue is related to a compound known as bilirubin. In an individual with a
completely healthy liver, bilirubin, which is produced by the body processing
old blood cells, is disposed of easily. However, in someone with a damaged
liver, bilirubin builds up in the blood. The end result can be a yellowing of
the skin.
“We don’t know how
strong we are until being strong is the only choice we have.” (Liver Cancer Awareness)[i]
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