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Liver problems are very difficult to diagnose in the early stages of the disease. All because the symptoms of disorders are delayed, difficult to notice or confused with other ailments. Therefore, it is worth being vigilant and paying attention to unusual changes, e.g. in the appearance of the hair. It is primarily men who should turn to them. It turns out that clearly smoother and softer hair is not necessarily a good signal and should prompt the owner to carry out specific tests.
- Although a diseased liver does not give noticeable symptoms, careful observation of the body can give us information about whether this organ is functioning properly
- We should be concerned about chronic fatigue and weariness, changes in the color of urine and stools or itching of the skin
- One of the most unusual symptoms of liver dysfunction is smoothing the hair. This is especially noticeable in men as they tend to have harder hair than women
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Author: Thomas Porwol / Image
The liver is sick in silence
Have you ever suffered from liver pain? Probably not because though The liver is one of the most important organs in our body, we get virtually no signals from iteven when she is sick!
– The liver has no pain nerves. That is why most liver diseases cannot be noticed on their own – says Ansgar Lohse, specialist in internal diseases and gastroenterology at UKE in Hamburg and author of the book “The Silence of the Liver”.
«Patients do not see a doctor when they are healthy, and that is not good news for their liver. In order to diagnose her disorders, laboratory tests and often also ultrasound examinations must be performed. »
The liver is an organ that helps in the digestion process and detoxifies the body of toxins, and is also responsible for the storage of vitamins. Liver dysfunction may also be associated with diseases of other organs adjacent to it. That is why it is worth undergoing preventive examinations to rule out liver diseases. You can order the Healthy Liver Package at Medonet Market.
Liver disease can develop over a long period of time without being noticed and is often diagnosed accidentally. However, there are a number of unusual symptoms that could be evidence of them, says Lohse. What should we pay attention to?
Atypical symptoms of a diseased liver
The most famous symptom of a diseased liver is jaundice. However, fatigue and exhaustion are much more common, says Lohse. – Of course, everyone is tired and weary sometimes, but before we blame it on psychosomatics or stress at work, we should check the liver tests at least once.
Darker urine or lighter stools may also indicate a liver problem. – On rare occasions, patients will feel tightness in the upper abdomen. Itching may also be a symptom, says Lohse.
The rest of the text below the video.
Another symptom, especially in men, is the so-called feminization. Lohse: – Testosterone is broken down in the liver. In the process of its breakdown, there is an intermediate stage in which the female sex hormone estrogen plays a major role. However, if this breakdown is slowed down due to a diseased liver, estrogen stays in the blood longer.
Effect? More female sex characteristics. – It can also happen in women, because they also have testosterone in their blood, but in them further feminization is not very noticeable. In men, it is quite the opposite, explains Lohse.
– The most obvious thing is the loss of hair on the chest and body. Breast tissue may develop. In addition, there is a loss of libido and erectile dysfunction – these can also be caused by cirrhosis of the liver. The more advanced it is, the more often it is associated with these symptoms. It is a process that takes place over months or even years.
Another sign of feminization in men is soft hair. – Even a layman will notice the change Says Lohse. A man can compare his own hair with that of a woman – a man’s hair should feel harder to the touch than a woman’s hair.
What if the man’s hair is just as soft as the woman’s hair? The doctor replies without hesitation: – It would be enough for me to say: we must immediately check both the liver tests and the level of sex hormones.
How To Maintain A Healthy Liver?
To prevent this from happening, keep your liver in good shape. The doctor tells you how to do it and – interestingly – does not focus on alcohol at all.
– The so-called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is more common than the alcoholic one. 25 percent of the population has a fatty liver, and another 25 percent. it is inflamed. This is a real epidemic.
Such inflammation can lead, among other things, to to an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. According to Lohse, a nonalcoholic fatty liver is born when we consume too many calories, and when we eat them incorrectly, and when we exercise too little.
The doctor has specific recommendations. – Don’t eat as much fructose and fats. Don’t eat heavy meals in the evening. The body can’t do much with the calories before nighttime, and it stores them in the liver.
Alcohol? – Small amounts of alcohol are not harmful. On the other hand, women should consume a maximum of 10 grams of alcohol a day, men – 20 grams, which corresponds to half a liter of beer by 5%. alcohol content – the expert answers.