Liver Pain Symptoms - A Blessing In Disguise?

Pain is our body's way of telling us something is wrong, and liver pain symptoms are no exception. Liver pain symptoms are in many respects a blessing in disguise, in that quite often, when something is wrong with the liver, no symptoms are apparent until the disease or disorder has progressed to a serious stage Most liver conditions should be considered as being serious, quite dangerous in fact, and while there are numerous symptoms associated with a liver disorder, liver pain symptoms should never be ignored.

The liver serves as a sort of toxic waste dump in our body, filtering out harmful substances so they can be eliminated through the urinary tract, and kept out of the bloodstream. Some toxins of course can be particularly harmful and can at times cause damage to the liver itself. The liver, fortunately, is one organ in our body capable of partially regenerating itself, repairing and replacing damaged tissue. There are limits of course as to how far the liver can go in keeping itself healthy, and excessive exposure to  toxins, alcohol being among the most significant, can result in permanent damage to the liver.

Causes Of Liver Pain  - While we often point to excessive alcohol consumption as the major cause of liver damage, cystic fibrosis, cancer, and certain viral infections can do significant harm, and in the process result in liver pain symptoms and other symptoms as well. Liver pain symptoms can vary from something very mild and seemingly inconsequential, to something very severe. The liver is located on the right side of the abdomen, just below the rib cage. In some cases. Liver pain has been described as being quite sharp, though in most instances it is present more in the form of a dull ache, which may be felt under or within the rib cage, and often in the back as well. Some who experience liver pain, be it sharp or dull, say they feel as if some large foreign object has been tucked under the right side of their rib cage.

There are those who believe that the liver, and other internal organs, cannot produce pain except by putting pressure on other tissues when swollen. The important thing to remember is this -  if you think you have liver pain, whether it is or is not, don't ignore it. Since pain in our body does not always pinpoint the source, one should look for accompanying symptoms, which often help in correctly diagnosing the condition.

Other Symptoms To Watch For - Liver pain is often accompanied by fatigue, breathing difficulties, including painful breathing, and skin disorders. Pain may be felt in the shoulder as well as the abdomen, and skin problems such as skin rashes and inflammation of the palms of the hands or soles of the feet may occur. When the liver is in trouble, an excess of bilirubin, used to produce bile which helps in the digestion of fats. An accumulation of bilirubin causes what is commonly called jaundice, a key indicator that a liver problem exists.

One will probably seldom experience all of these symptoms at once, or may experience one or two symptoms, though not feel any liver pain. The most dangerous condition is when there is a serious liver problem, but no symptoms are noticed, or at least not until the condition has become advanced. When one takes into account that other symptoms include halitosis, body odor, bloating of the abdomen or other parts of the body due to an accumulation of fluids, liver pain symptoms, as long as they are not too severe or intolerable, might indeed be a blessing in disguise, giving the alert that something needs to be done, and fairly quickly.