How To Tell If You Have liver Enlargement

Enlarged liver symptoms often indicate that there is swelling in the liver as a result of one of a number of potential developing liver disorders. A person with signs and symptoms of an enlarged liver should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Usually, by the time symptoms of liver enlargement develop, meaningful liver damage has possibly already happened. If the deterioration is not slowed or stopped, it could eventually cause liver failure. Once liver failure has happened, a liver transplant is the only way to keep the patient alive.

The medical term for an enlarged liver is hepatomegaly.

Hepatomegaly is not a disease. It is, however, a clear symptom that there is liver trouble of some kind.

There are no early signs and symptoms of an enlarged liver. But if the underlying disorder is not isolated and treated, the liver will ultimately enlarge to the point that the following signs and symptoms will begin showing up.

* discomfort beneath the rib cage

* A feeling of fullness in the stomach and abdomen

* accumulation of fluids in the abdomen (a malady known as ascites)

* lowered desire for food

*tender joints and muscles

* a cough that’s not due to a respiratory illness

* A change in bowel habits, with episodes of constipation or diarrhea

* exhaustion and weakness

* Occasional fever, unsettled stomach and vomiting

* urine could become dark or cloudy

Individuals who have signs and symptoms of an enlarged liver often have increased sensitivity to light are referred to as photophobia. The patient’s ability to smell could be heightened, and a number of everyday odors may well become disagreeable or even offensive.

Jaundice is one of the rare identifiable symptoms of a liver condition. When you have jaundice, your skin and the whites of your eyes look yellow. Jaundice is caused by a build up of a bile pigment known as bilirubin. Abnormal amounts of bilirubin destroy liver tissue, which in turn causes signs and symptoms of an enlarged liver.

There are various other ailments which indicate that some form of liver disease or damage has begun. One is cholestasis, which happens when there’s some form of blockage that obstructs the flow of bile from the liver. Another example is portal hypertension, which is unusually high blood pressure in the portal vein. This vein transports blood from the intestines to the liver.

The doctor will want to get the results of diagnostic tests to determine the stage to which an enlarged liver has progressed. Such tests usually include a liver biopsy, liver function tests, an ultrasound or a CT scan.

Every so often both the liver and spleen get enlarged together. When this happens, the disorder is called hepatosplenomegaly.

For more information on this and related topics, click on signs of an enlarged liver and enlarged liver.

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