Liver Disorder Symptoms

The liver filters blood within the body and generates bile. When the liver is impaired, the ability to filter blood is reduced and a blockage of bile flow may occur, resulting in a buildup of toxins within the body. This is a dangerous situation that can escalate to an irreparably damaged liver and possibly death. There are several symptoms of a liver disorder, some of which serve as warning signs of a deteriorating condition.

Jaundice

• Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin tone and the whites of a person's eyes. High levels of bile pigment in the blood or the deterioration of red blood cells within the body may cause jaundice. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, jaundice is the first and possibly only sign of the onset of liver disease.

Enlarged Liver

• A larger-than-normal liver is a sign of liver disease, but there are no detectable symptoms for mild cases. For an extremely enlarged liver, a person may feel discomfort in the abdomen or feel full.

Cholestasis

• A disruption of bile flow, either reduced or stopped, is known as cholestasis. This condition can cause jaundice. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports signs of cholestasis include dark urine, chills, easy bleeding, pale stool and spider-veins.

Portal Hypertension

• A resistance to the flow of blood through the liver can actually cause the growth of other blood vessels that bypass the liver completely, circulating toxins that would have normally been filtered out from the blood. Bleeding of the blood vessels in the stomach lining or esophagus are signs of this condition, as is a distended stomach.

General Symptoms

• When a person is suffering from a liver disorder, a symptom such as an enlarged liver is not going to be the first thing that person notices. The University of Illinois Medical Center lists a number of general signs and symptoms of liver disease. These include darkened urine, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, unusual fluctuations in weight, pain in the upper right abdomen area, fatigue, aching muscles, fever, depression and even a loss of sex drive.