Why liver hurts

Liver pain and liver disease are two distinct things, although liver disease can be accompanied by pain and in most cases, will be. There are many different underlying causes of liver diseases, the most common of which is connected to excessive alcohol consumption. One night of heavy drinking is unlikely to cause liver pain. It would more likely cause conditions such as headache or nausea.

Liver problems as they relate to alcohol are usually the result of excessive consumption after years of drinking. However, not all liver problems are tied to ethanol. You should never ignore liver pain. If you are experiencing distinct pain in the liver area, you should seek help from a physician immediately.

It is important to note that liver pain is often mistaken for right shoulder pain or back pain. It can be dull and throbbing, or it can be sharp and stabbing.

If you are unsure, keep in mind that the liver is directly below the diaphragm on top of the stomach. Beyond pain, there are other telltale markers of liver disease you should be on the lookout for so that you can let your healthcare provider know. Some of these include:. While many gastrointestinal issues can be a bit ambiguous and could mean many things, several of these symptoms point directly to liver problems, especially jaundice, pale stools , and a distended stomach.

If you have liver or abdominal pain along with any of these symptoms, you should see your physician immediately. Any type of liver pain is likely going to be linked to a type of liver disease.

Keep in mind that the liver can recover tremendously from many different types of conditions. The most common cause is simply excessive alcohol consumption, which is a nonspecific description of liver irritation and disease. This could describe fatty liver or high liver enzymes both of which a patient can recover from following alcohol cessation or other liver problems.

This does describe cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver. While alcohol is the number one reason for cirrhosis, this condition is an irreversible and deadly liver disease that the liver cannot recover from, even after ethanol cessation. Just as in other areas of the body, an abscess can form in the liver. An abscess, which is a fluid-filled pocket of pus, may contain parasites, bacteria, or some other type of infection. Imaging tests would be conducted in order to diagnose a liver abscess, likely after blood tests were taken.

Most often, liver disease is first noted by high liver enzymes found during complete blood count CBC tests or other types of lab tests.

Just like in other parts of the body, the treatment for most abscesses would be antibiotics. Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare liver disease entirely unrelated to alcohol. Pregnant women and those with chronic inflammatory disease are more at risk, but it remains a rare disease.

It can be easy to dismiss fatigue and lethargy as a normal side effect of a stressful life, but severe exhaustion could point to low blood-oxygen levels and waste accumulation. Nausea, a disinterest in food and weight loss are some early symptoms of liver problems. In fact, the initial stages of hepatitis often bring flu-like symptoms, including digestive discomfort.

As liver function declines and waste can no longer be eliminated from the body efficiently, the bile pigment called bilirubin can build up in the bloodstream. In turn, the skin and eyes can take on a yellowish color, urine will appear darker, and stools will appear lighter. When cirrhosis begins to cause pain, it typically appears in the upper right abdomen, or just under the lower right ribs. The pain can be throbbing or stabbing, and it may come and go.

Confusion and problems with concentration are often the first signs of toxin overload, but they can lead to forgetfulness, changes in sleeping habits, and unresponsiveness. Ongoing nausea is a reaction to excess waste products in the body, and unexplained vomiting is often linked to liver problems. If you suspect a problem with your liver, take your concerns to your doctor right away.

There are several tests that can quickly and painlessly reveal the extent of your liver damage and that will determine the right course of therapy. The liver is the largest internal organ, and a surprisingly powerful one at that. Liver pain can arise for various reasons. It is important to find out what is causing the pain and to get treatment to prevent irreversible damage.

Liver pain can be dull and nonspecific, but it can also be severe. It may result in a backache. Liver pain is sometimes confused with a pain in the right shoulder, or in the abdomen, or the kidney. Many liver diseases and other organ conditions can cause liver pain.

Some of these can lead to liver damage. Without treatment, the liver may eventually stop functioning. Liver disease refers to any condition that causes liver inflammation or damage, and that may affect liver function. Liver pain is often a sign of liver disease.

Symptoms of liver disease often do not appear until the condition is advanced, so it is important to be aware of liver pain and other symptoms that could signal a liver disorder. Over different types of liver disease can cause liver pain.

The following are a few examples:. Cholangitis is inflammation of the bile duct system, usually due to a bacterial infection. The bile duct drains bile from the liver and gallbladder, carrying it to the small intestine. Cholangitis infection causes pressure to build up in this drainage system. It normally indicates that there is an obstruction or blockage in the system.

This may be due to stones, a tumor , blood clots, or a backflow of bacteria. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The most common cause is a virus, but other causes include heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and some medical conditions.

Hepatitis B, C, and D cause chronic hepatitis, which can eventually lead to cirrhosis , liver failure, and liver cancer. Hepatitis can be acute, meaning sudden and short term, or chronic, meaning long-term and persistent. A liver abscess is a pocket of infected fluid, or pus , that forms in the liver. Infection from certain germs, such as bacteria, parasites, or fungus, can cause the abscess. An abscess can damage nearby tissue, it can lead to bleeding, additional infections, and even death.

Treatment may include an antibiotic or antifungal medicine, and the abscess may be drained. Follow-up imaging tests of the liver are normally conducted to ensure the abscess is gone and that there is no permanent damage.