5 Signs Your Liver isn’t Working Correctly

One of the most hardworking body organs you have is your liver. Your liver is mostly responsible for filtering toxins from the food you eat or the toxins from the environment you’re exposed to. It serves as your body’s central detox center. Overall, your liver does a lot to make sure you’re healthy and detoxified.

Your liver is cleansing your body nonstop, and it’s your responsibility to help it function well. According to Sick of Being Stuck, your liver needs essential oils like geranium, ginger, peppermint, and more. These essential oils will strengthen your liver and help it to detoxify your body efficiently.

However, if you let it work too hard by eating unhealthy and oily food, drinking alcohol, and being exposed to too many toxins from the air, your liver is bound to have complications. That is why you must be mindful of the food you eat. Make sure that you always eat a healthy and balanced diet to prevent your liver from developing any problems.

It’s also essential that you’re aware when your liver is telling you that something is wrong. You need to listen to your body if it’s showing any signs that there are problems with your liver function. To guide you, here are the seven signs that your liver is not working correctly anymore:

1. Yellow eyes

Yellow eyes, or otherwise known as jaundice, are one of the most specific signs of liver problems. A substance called Bilirubin, which is a yellow bile pigment in the blood, is normally broken down by your liver before it is released from the body. Once your liver fails to function efficiently, bilirubin will soon build up inside, causing your eyes to become yellow.

2. Sudden bloating

After a big meal, it’s expected that you’ll feel bloated and have an enormous belly. But, a sudden feeling of bloating without even eating a large meal or drinking a lot of water may be a sign of a liver problem. Abdominal bloating happens due to the fluid buildup caused by increased blood pressure around the liver area. If you think your bloating is not anymore normal, it’s best to consult your doctor.

3. Tiredness and fatigue

Are you feeling tired all the time?  Tiredness may be caused by so many factors, like lack of sleep, too much work, or stress. But, persistent tiredness eventually leads to fatigue, and it must not be taken lightly just because it occurs in many people. Chronic fatigue is actually one of the most common signs of a liver problem. Since your liver isn’t working correctly anymore, the neurotransmission in your brain changes, causing you to be exhausted and weary all the time.

4. Pale stool

Another sign you may have to look out for is your stool. The standard stool color is dark due to the bile salts released from your liver. Once its color becomes pale, it only means that there’s something wrong with your liver and biliary drainage system.

Alternatively, if you have black tarry stools, or otherwise known as melena, it indicates that there’s bleeding in your upper digestive tract or around the liver area. If you see these signs, it’s best to seek medical attention immediately.

5. Dark urine

The healthiest color of urine is a pale yellow to almost clear. However, if you see that your urine is too dark, either dark orange or even brown, that may be a sign of a liver problem. Dark urine is caused by large amounts of bilirubin that have been stored in your body for too long, and your liver wasn’t able to process them as expected. Too much bilirubin doesn’t only reflect on your eyes and skin, but also on your urine.

Final Thoughts

The mentioned signs above will serve as your guide to determine if your body is informing you that something is wrong with your liver. But, the best way for you to find out is by consulting your doctor right away as soon as you sense one of these signs. As the famous saying goes, prevention is better than cure.