Top Liver Emergencies and When to Go To the ER
October is National Liver Awareness Month, and at Prestige ER, we want to take this opportunity to highlight some of the top liver emergencies and when you need to seek emergency care.
What Does the Liver Do?
The liver is one of the hardest-working organs in our body, performing some 500 vital functions. It helps digest the foods you eat, convert them into energy to fuel your body, and store the excess energy until you need it. It also helps filter toxic substances and waste from different metabolic processes in your bloodstream.
Common Liver Diseases and When to Go to the ER
Given how hard the liver works to digest food, create and store energy and rid your body of waste, it’s no surprise that, over time, certain conditions can cause damage to it. Here are some of the most common forms of liver disease and warning signs when you need to visit the ER.
Hepatitis
Inflammation of the liver is known as hepatitis. Different viruses are the most common cause of illness, and the condition can lead to liver damage. Viral hepatitis is contagious, but vaccines for hepatitis A and B can help reduce your risk.
Types of Hepatitis:
Hepatitis A: Spreads through contact with contaminated food or water. Symptoms may disappear without treatment, but recovery usually takes a few weeks
Hepatitis B: This viral hepatitis spreads through bodily fluids such as blood and semen. The condition can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). There is no cure for the disease, but it is treatable, and the sooner you receive treatment, the lower your risk of developing complications. Regular screenings are advisable.
Hepatitis C: Spreads through contact with blood from someone infected with hepatitis C. The condition can be acute or chronic, and it usually doesn’t cause symptoms in its early stages but can lead to permanent liver damage if left untreated.
Hepatitis D: Hepatitis D or delta hepatitis is a severe form of hepatitis. It only occurs in people infected with hepatitis B and spreads through contact with bodily fluids. The condition causes severe symptoms and can lead to permanent liver damage and death.
Symptoms
- Fever
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Dark urine
- Light-colored stools
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Joint pain
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
Acute Liver Failure
This condition causes quick deterioration or loss of liver function, usually over days or weeks. Acute liver failure often surprises patients because the person usually has no preexisting liver disease.
Acute liver failure can result from a hepatitis infection or medications such as acetaminophen and can lead to severe complications, including increased pressure in the brain and bleeding. This condition is a medical emergency and requires hospitalization.
Prompt medical attention can reduce the risk of severe complications and even reverse the damage.
Symptoms
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Pain in the upper right abdomen
- A general feeling of being unwell
- Sleepiness
- Confusion or disorientation
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Tremors
- Some patients have a musty or sweet-smelling breath
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is scarring in the liver produced during the regeneration process in response to liver diseases and excessive alcohol consumption. Other conditions, such as syphilis and cystic fibrosis, can cause liver damage and, eventually, cirrhosis. Scar tissue makes it harder for your liver to function correctly.
If caught during the early stages, cirrhosis is treatable. However, the condition can lead to severe complications without proper management and often become life-threatening.
Symptoms
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Easily bruising or bleeding
- Swelling in your legs, feet, or ankles
- Unintended weight loss
- Itchy skin
- Nausea
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
- Drowsiness, confusion, and slurred speech (hepatic encephalopathy)
- Spiderlike blood vessels on your skin
- Redness in the palms of the hands
- In women, absent periods not related to menopause
- In men, loss of sex drive, testicular atrophy, or breast enlargement
When to Go to the ER for Liver Disease-Related Symptoms
Complications from liver disease can be life-threatening. Please call 911 if you or someone in your family develops any of the following symptoms.
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin
- Tenderness or swelling in the upper abdomen
- Severe abdominal pain
- Unexplained changes in mental state, behavior, or personality
- Bloody or very dark stools
- Vomiting blood
- Shakiness or tremors
- Shortness of breath
Preventing liver disease is essential. Make sure to schedule annual screenings and work with your doctor to manage existing conditions to help prevent complications.
At Prestige ER, we care about keeping our community healthy. However, accidents and sudden illnesses are part of life, and you can always count on us to care for you and your family during these emergencies.
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