By the time you recognize symptoms, your liver is already significantly damaged.
Liver damage can lead to liver disease.
Chronic liver disease causes areas of inflammation that become scar tissue.
Illustration by Zoe Hansen for Verywell Health
When this scarring becomes advanced, it is called liver cirrhosis.
Over time, liver damage and disease can lead to liver (hepatic) failure.
Liver failure is a medical emergency and has the potential to lead to complete organ failure.
Acute liver failure come on suddenly.
In comparison, liver damage triggered by hepatitis or other chronic conditions may not present any signs for years.
As liver disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe, especially with cirrhosis or liver failure.
This is an immune reaction in which the tissue swells.
At this point, most people don’t have symptoms.
Healthcare providers detect liver damage with blood tests, such as the complete blood count and liver function tests.
Over time, inflammation leads toliver tissue scarring or fibrosis, impacting its function.
Some people lose weight or have sexual dysfunction and a dull pain in the abdomen.
Spiderlike red veins can break out on your skin.
Liver fibrosis advances to cirrhosis, the most advanced and damaged stage.
Signs and symptoms can vary from person to person.
Sometimes, theyll need a biopsy, a clinical evaluation of a sample of liver tissue.
If you suspect you have liver damage and are experiencing symptoms, call your provider.
Signs of liver damage in someone else include:
Reversing Liver Damage: What Is Possible?
Unlike most other organs in the body, the liver can repair itselfto a point.
If liver disease is in earlier stages, managing underlying diseases and making lifestyle changes can reverse the damage.
But theres a limit, as healthcare providers generally consider liver cirrhosis to be irreversible.
At this point, the extent of the damage to the liver is too much to recover from.
If you catch liver damage in its earlier stages, it may be reversible with treatment and lifestyle changes.
However, liver cirrhosissevere scarringwill not be able to heal.
If you experience any signs of liver damage, call your healthcare provider.
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