Serious Symptoms Of Fatty Liver Disease

Leg And Abdominal Swelling

Researchers have discovered several different types of fatty liver disease, and not all of them present the same way. This means individuals won't see leg and abdominal swelling with every type of fatty liver disease. However, swelling in the abdomen and legs is often present when there's cirrhosis, which occurs when the liver becomes severely scarred as a result of chronic liver disease. Every injury to the liver causes the liver to attempt to repair itself, resulting in scar tissue. The more scar tissue that forms, the more difficult it is for the liver to function.

If patients develop advanced cirrhosis, their liver may fail, which is life-threatening unless they're able to get a liver transplant. When swelling occurs in the ankles, feet, or legs, it's called edema. It is called ascites when fluid accumulates inside the abdomen. Patients might also experience itchy skin, nausea, fatigue, easy bruising or bleeding, yellow discoloration of your eyes and skin, and spiderlike blood vessels in the skin. Redness on the palms also sometimes occurs.

General Malaise

General malaise can occur with multiple kinds of fatty liver disease, though it can also be difficult to categorize. Malaise is the medical term for a general feeling of unwellness. Affected individuals might have trouble explaining why they feel unwell beyond that their body feels like it isn't calibrated correctly. Many patients experiencing malaise also experience nausea, lethargy, and fatigue even after having a good night's sleep. Patients might feel as though they're experiencing digestive problems that don't resolve.

Malaise can be one of the most frustrating symptoms to diagnose, because it is very difficult to define and accompanies a wide range of different conditions. When individuals are experiencing consistent and ongoing feelings of unwellness, one of the best things they can do is talk to a doctor in terms as specific as possible about what they're feeling. Some studies indicate fatigue and malaise are the most commonly experienced symptoms of any type of fatty liver disease. Some of this fatigue might be caused by chemical changes in the brain.