The liver is one of the vital organs for humans. Her work has a huge impact on the life of the whole organism. Therefore, it is very important to keep it in good condition.
Causes of liver disease in humans can vary, such as poor diet, alcohol abuse, or long-term medication (liver toxicity). We will talk further about how to identify problems in the work of this body among the fairer sex.
Signs of liver disease in women
For all diseases of this organ, a number of common signs can be distinguished that can manifest themselves at different stages. Among them:
- Discomfort or pain in the right hypochondrium.
- Fatigue and disability. May occur throughout the day for no apparent reason.
- Feeling sleepy. Like general fatigue, it appears for no reason. For example, the desire to sleep may persist after a night's rest and continue throughout the day.
- Loss of appetite. As a result, body weight decreases. These phenomenacaused by malfunction of the gallbladder. Bile is secreted in insufficient volumes, which leads to incomplete digestion of food.
- Skin may turn yellowish.
- May experience nausea and vomiting.
- Changing the color of urine. It takes on a darker hue.
How symptoms appear
From medical practice, it can be said that the signs of liver disease in women do not differ from the signs that occur in men. Simply, according to statistics, representatives of the strong half of humanity suffer from diseases of this organ about 3 times more often than ladies.
For the most part, all liver diseases are cumulative. And their development is not expressed by any symptoms in the initial stages. Given the lifestyle of many people, as well as the level of environmental pollution, the absence of severe symptoms of such diseases once again confirms the need for regular preventive examinations.
The structure of the human liver is such that it is devoid of nerve endings. Therefore, there are no quick and direct symptoms of diseases of this organ. And the first sign of liver disease is the appearance of discomfort in the right hypochondrium. The feeling of discomfort arises due to the fact that the liver increases in size. Usually there is a pulling sensation, or a feeling of heaviness.
Types of liver pain
Pain in this organ can be divided into several types:
- Sharp pain. It is usually pronouncedand appears in episodes. Such pain is called hepatic colic. It is caused by the movement of stones along the biliary tract.
- Aching pain. Feeling of discomfort in the region of the liver, pulling sensation. It occurs due to an increase in the size of the liver. Usually caused by inflammation. As a rule, such symptoms appear with a long course of the disease.
- Pain occurs as a result of eating a certain type of food. For example, fatty or fried.
External manifestations of liver disease
Many different diseases can be detected by the face and body of a person. Liver disease is no exception. Therefore, the appearance of specific signs on the skin can signal the occurrence of problems in this organ. In this case, the best solution would be to consult a doctor and possibly undergo an examination prescribed by him.
Symptoms of liver diseases on the face:
- Pigment spots and spider veins may appear on the skin.
- A rash appears. A lot of acne occurs on the skin, and its moisture content can also change dramatically. It can become dry, or, conversely, very oily.
- The whites of the eyes turn yellow. This is a serious symptom and should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Signs of liver disease in women on the body:
- Skin becomes yellowish.
- The appearance of age spots all over the body is typical.
- Acne appears all over the body.
- General conditionskin deteriorates significantly.
Thus, the skin with liver diseases clearly signals the need for treatment. And if other symptoms do not appear immediately, then the changes that occur with the skin are hard to miss.
Causes of liver cirrhosis
There are several main causes for cirrhosis:
- Alcohol abuse. This is the most common cause of this disease.
- Toxic defeat. The disease may appear as a result of long-term use of drugs.
- Hepatitis. Patients with hepatitis B or C are at risk because the long course of this disease leads to the development of cirrhosis.
- Heredity.
- Cryptogenic cirrhosis. Medicine has not yet discovered the exact causes of its occurrence. However, this type of cirrhosis is much faster than normal cirrhosis and can lead to liver damage very quickly.
Signs of cirrhosis in women
The symptoms of this disease usually do not appear immediately. This is due to the fact that at the initial stage of the development of the disease there are very few affected areas, and he althy cells are able to compensate the sick with their work. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to external signs and the general condition of the body in order to notice the disease in time and prevent it from taking on threatening forms.
Let's consider what are the signs of liver cirrhosis in women:
- Feeling constantly weak and tired. Feeling sleepy.
- Lack of appetite.
- Itchy skin appears. Usually intensifies at night.
- Redness of the palms, the soles of the feet may also redden.
- The skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow.
- Increase in the size of the abdomen.
- The appearance of spider veins on the face.
- Possibly reddening of the face.
Stages of liver cirrhosis
Medicine distinguishes 3 stages of this disease. Each of them has its own characteristic symptoms. The duration of each stage is individual and depends on the general condition of the body and on the lifestyle of the patient.
- Compensated cirrhosis. At this stage, there are practically no symptoms. Destruction of liver tissue is at an early stage, and they are minimal. Therefore, the liver is able to perform its function, compensating for diseased cells with he althy ones.
- Subcompensated cirrhosis. This stage is characterized by the appearance of the first signs of the disease. This is due to the expansion of the affected area, as well as the depletion of liver resources.
- Decompensated cirrhosis. Extreme degree of destruction. Liver failure appears, and there is also a high risk of complications.
Since cirrhosis is one of those diseases that cannot be completely cured, the main task of medicine is to stop its development. Therefore, the sooner this disease is diagnosed, the better.
Main symptoms of liver disease
The main signs of liver disease in women can be identified:
- Pain in the area of this organ. May occur after eating fatty, smoked or fried foods. It is also triggered by physical activity. At other times, pain symptoms are usually absent.
- Feeling sick, throwing up and having a bitter taste in the mouth.
- The appearance of a yellowish coloration of the skin and whites of the eyes. May occur in some cardiovascular diseases. However, most often these signs are associated with impaired liver function.
- External manifestations. A rash in liver disease is a fairly common occurrence. This is caused by the liver not being able to effectively cleanse the body.
Most of the symptoms that occur in the initial stages of liver disease are easily confused with manifestations of other diseases. In some cases, signs of the onset of destruction may be absent altogether. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to the deterioration of the body in time and undergo a periodic examination.
