3. Changes in Skin Color
What it looks like: A yellowish tint (mild jaundice) or darkened areas (hyperpigmentation), especially around the ankles.
Liver connection: Jaundice indicates a problem with bilirubin metabolism — the liver’s ability to break down and eliminate bilirubin. Darker pigmentation may result from metabolic disturbances and melanin accumulation.
4. Persistent Itching
What it looks like: Itching without a visible rash, often worse at night.
Liver connection: This can be an early sign of cholestasis — a condition where bile flow slows or stops. Accumulated bile acids irritate nerve endings in the skin, causing persistent itching.
5. Redness of the Feet (Plantar Erythema)
Liver connection: Like spider veins, this symptom results from high estrogen levels and dilated capillaries due to portal hypertension.
⚠️ Important: These symptoms do not provide a definitive diagnosis of liver disease. They may also occur with heart failure, kidney problems, allergies, varicose veins, or dermatological conditions. However, if several of these signs appear together or gradually worsen, you should consult a healthcare professional promptly.
What You Should Do
Don’t ignore these signs. If you experience persistent swelling, spider veins, itching, or skin discoloration — especially when combined with fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, heaviness under the right rib cage, or changes in urine or stool color — see a gastroenterologist or hepatologist as soon as possible.
Prepare for Your Appointment
Note when symptoms began, what makes them worse or better, and whether other symptoms are present.
Expect your doctor to order blood tests (liver enzymes such as ALT, AST, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, GGT, and albumin), a complete blood count, and an ultrasound of the abdominal organs.
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