These visible signs may be hiding liver disease

Visible signs that may point to liver disease

One important catch with this headline: liver disease can be completely silent for years, so having no visible symptoms does not necessarily mean the liver is healthy. Fatty liver disease, for example, often causes few or no symptoms in its early stages.
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When liver disease becomes more advanced, however, several physical changes can appear.

1. 🟡 Yellow eyes or skin

Jaundice—yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin—can occur when bilirubin builds up. New jaundice deserves medical evaluation.
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2. 🕷️ Small spider-like blood vessels

Clusters of tiny visible blood vessels, sometimes called spider angiomas or spider naevi, can occur with cirrhosis.
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3. 🔴 Red palms

Persistent blotchy redness of the palms (palmar erythema) can occur with cirrhosis, although it isn’t specific to liver disease.
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4. 🦵 Swollen ankles or legs

Fluid accumulation can cause swelling (edema) in the lower legs, ankles or feet as liver disease progresses.
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5. 🎈 A swollen abdomen

Fluid accumulating in the abdomen is called ascites. A progressively swollen abdomen should be medically assessed.
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6. 🟤 Dark urine or unusually pale stools

Changes in bile flow can produce dark urine and pale-colored stools, sometimes together with jaundice.
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7. 🩹 Easy bruising or bleeding

Advanced liver disease can interfere with normal blood clotting, making bruising or bleeding easier.
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Other symptoms

Persistent itching, fatigue, poor appetite, unexplained weight loss, nausea, or discomfort in the upper-right abdomen can also occur.
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Don’t diagnose liver disease from appearance alone

These signs can have other causes, and some people with significant liver disease have no obvious outward signs. Doctors may use blood tests, imaging and sometimes other testing to determine whether the liver is damaged.
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Seek prompt medical care for new jaundice, rapidly increasing abdominal swelling, vomiting blood, black/tarry stools, severe confusion, or significant bleeding. These can indicate serious liver complications.
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