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Signs of Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure is a condition that can appear for no reason, and cause a great deal of damage in a short period of time. Many of the symptoms of acute liver failure are often misdiagnosed as being flu symptoms, or the symptoms of a stomach virus. If you, or anyone you know, begins to experience the symptoms of acute liver failure, it is important to get to a doctor immediately.

  1. Jaundice

    • As the liver begins to fail, it loses the ability to properly dispose of the waste products in the blood. These waste products begin to build up in the body and start to give a yellow color to the skin and the whites of the eyes. This build up of yellow fluid known as bilirubin is referred to as jaundice. Bilirubin is the waste product created when red blood cells die and are broken down into their chemical components. The liver is supposed to dispose of the excess bilirubin in the bloodstream, but when the liver begins to fail, the bilirubin builds up and causes jaundice.

    Nausea

    • As the liver begins to fail, the patient starts to develop a general feeling of illness. There seems to be no specific origin or cause of the feeling, and it can become quite strong at times. It can lead to nausea, vomiting and even muscle tremors. There can also be the feeling of fatigue, and many other symptoms that are commonly attributed to a stomach virus or the flu.

    Trouble Concentrating

    • One of the more important jobs that the liver has is to keep the bloodstream free of toxic chemicals. As the liver begins to fail, it loses the ability to keep the bloodstream free of these toxic chemicals, and eventually, this begins to affect the body's internal organs. A condition known as encephalopathy occurs when the toxins left behind in the bloodstream by a failing liver start to affect the brain. The patient finds it difficult to concentrate, he begins to forget things, and his attention span is greatly decreased. As the liver continues to fail, the symptoms associated with encephalopathy will continue to get worse. This can also lead to sudden outbursts of anger, and it can begin to interfere with the patient's ability to fall asleep at night.

    Abdominal Pain

    • As the liver fails, it can begin to cause painful sensations in the upper abdominal area. The patient may begin to feel tenderness in her upper abdomen, and as the liver continues to fail these sensations will become more prevalent and uncomfortable for the patient.

    Hypotension

    • If the liver is unable to clean the toxins out of the bloodstream, it is possible for the bloodstream to become overburdened with toxins and waste material. When this happens, the blood pressure will drop, causing a condition known as hypotension. A sudden drop in blood pressure is dangerous because it means that the blood is not properly circulating to the internal organs, and this can cause the internal organs to begin to shut down.

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