What Is Liver Disease?

By james

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Although responsible for hundreds of functions that keep the body healthy, the liver remains a mystery to most of us. This under-appreciated organ filters whatever a person consumes, whether it is food, medicine, or alcohol. The mighty liver also performs many metabolic functions, clears the body of toxins, and stores nutrients from the blood for later use.

You may not receive any warning if your liver gets into trouble. Liver disease usually progresses over months or years, slowly replacing healthy tissue with scar tissue (cirrhosis). It is helpful to know some of the signs and symptoms to look for.

1. Difficulty Concentrating

All of us have difficulty concentrating sometimes, but if other symptoms are also present, this can be a sign that your liver is failing. An important function of the liver is filtering the toxins out of the blood and disposing of them. When your liver isn’t working, the toxins are not properly removed.

Those toxins can then travel to your brain and collect there (hepatic encephalopathy). This often results in difficulty concentrating and thinking clearly. As the condition progresses, you may experience confusion, memory problems, severe lethargy and even unconsciousness.