Liver Pain – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention

Liver Pain – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention






As many of you know, liver is the largest organ (next to skin) in the body and is located on the right upper portion of the abdomen. Liver performs many vital functions like maintaining carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. In addition, liver is the organ that secretes bile and bile salts and involved in filtering of bacteria and other foreign particles from the blood.

Liver can get damaged in various ways like infection, scarring and formation of Tumor. Some of the Signs of Liver Damage include confusion of thoughts, yellow coloration of skin and eyes, swelling of abdomen and fatigue. Long term use of alcohol can extensively damage the liver. Detoxification of the blood is yet another major function of the liver which converts ammonia into urea for excretion by the Kidneys. Liver helps in the breakdown of several medications and hormone insulin. Liver acts as a warehouse for storing the required amounts of vitamins that can be used further.

Liver Pain Symptoms :

When something goes wrong in the liver, it causes dull stomach pain in the right upper portion. Further the skin can become yellowish and even your eyes can turn yellow in color. This is because of impaired function of liver to metabolize bulirubin component in the blood. You may have signs of nausea and vomiting and loss of appetite. Bruises can happen easily when the liver does not work properly. Further it can cause additional signs like loss of weight, shortness of breath, fatigue and general malaise. Liver is also involved with production of sex hormones and hence libido or sex drive can get reduced. In men liver dysfunction can cause impotence.

When no treatment is taken, liver gets damaged badly causing accumulation of excess of fluid in the extremities of the body. Further ammonia content in the body can increase in volumes causing confusion of thoughts and encephalopathy. Under normal condition the liver occupies right upper portion of the abdomen but in severe inflammation the liver bulges extending until the left portion and upper portion of the stomach.

Liver Pain Causes :

Many factors can upset the functions of liver and some of them are listed below :

• Infection

Viral infection is mostly the cause for inflammation of liver. Hepatitis A, B and C are some of the common viral infections of liver. Infection can get transmitted by drinking polluted water or food or through blood transfusion and even when having sex with infected person. Autoimmune disorders like primary biliary cirrhosis and autoimmune Hepatitis Can infect the liver.

• Genes

Genes play a vital role in building up unwanted substances in the liver causing damage. Genetic liver problems like Wilson’s disease, Hyperoxaluria and Hemochromatosis belongs to this category.

• Tumor

Cancerous tumor can grow in your liver causing Liver Cancer and adenoma. Sometimes, cancer can grow in the bile duct also.

• Overuse Of Alcohol

Any amounts of alcohol can definitely damage the liver. But repeated and chronic alcohol abuse can significantly cause scarring of liver or liver cirrhosis. Even with non-drinkers, fat content can accumulate excessively causing Fatty Liver disease which is often harmless can be controlled by modification of lifestyle and diet.

Diagnosis :

The doctor will first physically examine the abdomen by gently pressing the liver portion to check for swelling. Further he may order for series of tests including blood culture to check the levels of bilirubin and other components. He may request for CT scan or ultrasound scan to rule out possibility of liver cancer. If needed, MRI scan will be done to identify the exact problem. For some patients, the doctor may do a liver biopsy by removing a small tissue sample of liver through endoscopy (a thin long needle is inserted through the throat) which is tested in the laboratory.

Liver Pain Treatment :

Treatment for liver disease depends on the cause and test results.

• For viral infections like hepatitis A or B antiviral medications like epivir, hepsera or telbivudine or Intron A is given. In severe cases liver transplant is to be done.


• For liver cirrhosis no treatment can be given to cure the scarring of liver. Damage done to the liver cannot be reversed. However, treatment can be given in the form of modification of lifestyle and diet, changing medications and following the instructions of the doctor. In severe cases surgical intervention is necessary for survival.


• For patients with liver cancer, chemotherapy and radiation therapy is the ideal treatment. Target therapy is done with medications like sorafenib. In many cases the size of the tumor can reduced with intake of drugs so that surgery can be avoided. In severe form of cancer partial or complete transplant is done.


• The survival rate of liver cancer diagnosed in early stages is about 43% of people who can extend their lives up to 5 years. But the rate of survival is very low (less than 10%) if the cancer has spread to neighboring lymph nodes and tissues.


• Alcohol abuse can cause intense damage to liver which can become irreversible in some cases. The patient can be helped with drug rehab therapy to stop alcohol alongside with lifestyle modification. But here again survival rates depends on factors like age, general health condition and intensity of alcohol abuse.


• Mild to moderate problems in the liver can be repaired with suitable medications and lifestyle changes.

Liver Transplantation :

Removal of portion or complete liver is known as liver transplantation. It is considered as the last option for patients who live in end stage of liver disease like cirrhosis, liver cancer or hepatitis infection. Finding suitable donor is the first problem for transplant. In many countries, thousands of people are waiting for donor liver which can be obtained either from living person or deceased (healthy) person. The American Liver Foundation reports that the chance of survival for one year after transplant is 86% and for 3 years it is about 78%. In many cases the new liver is not accepted by the body and hence transplantation can fail miserably. So the doctor will consider several factors before selecting a person for liver transplant.

Liver Pain Prevention Tips :

It is quite possible to postpone and prevent liver disease by making small changes in your lifestyle.

Reduce Alcohol Intake : You can take up to one drink a day if you are an adult (healthy). There are many centers and programs that help in quitting alcohol completely. You are considered as alcohol abuse person, if you are not able to stop drinking and if you are facing other symptoms related to withdrawal of drinking.

Avoid Illegal Sex : Avoid having sex with strangers and unknown people since they may carry infectious virus.

Avoid Sharing Needles : You have all possibilities of getting infected by sharing needles with others. You can prevent hepatitis infection by getting vaccinated.

Use protective masks while handling insecticides, paints or toxic chemicals.

Maintain your weight and do regular exercises to prevent fatty liver disease.

Liver Pain

Liver Pain






Liver is the largest gland in our body which is found on the abdomen below the diaphragm. Liver is responsible for the synthesis of bile, a special enzyme which is vital for digesting fat molecules. Liver is the organ that controls various metabolic activities, homeostatic process and maintains blood sugar level and excretes toxic substances from the body.

It is not easy to identify liver pain from pains in other organs of the abdomen. The pain receptors of the liver lie covering its surface like a capsule form and pain is felt only if the capsule form is forced with pressure. Liver pain is felt on the upper right portion of the abdomen and sometimes under the rib cage.

Liver pain is often caused due to inflammation of liver or any other serious injury.

Liver pain can be of varying degree ranging from mild to sharp intense pain. Pain is felt on the upper right portion of the stomach. It is difficult to predict the exact cause of liver pain and can only be diagnosed using liver function tests and urine test. Often, liver pain is caused due to consumption of excess of alcohol.

Causes :

Liver pain is felt on the right upper abdominal area. This can be caused due to gallstone formation and other gastrointestinal disorders.

Number of conditions and diseases can cause liver pain. Some of them are listed below.

Hepatitis : Liver gets swollen due to intake of poison, alcohol, infectious diseases, autoimmunity disorders and overdoses of drugs. Generally hepatitis is referred to viral infections that cause symptoms like loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, Jaundice and muscular weakness.

Alcoholic hepatitis is caused when a person is habituated to drinking alcohol daily. It can cause irreversible damage to the liver. Some of the signs of this disease are dry mouth, excess of thirst, Edema, dark skin and loss of memory. It can also cause aggressive behavior, mood changes, tingling sensation or numbness in hands and limbs.

Certain types of autoimmune disorders like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Grave’s disease, Type 1 diabetes, systemic Lupus can affect liver causing inflammation. This may produce symptoms like severe pain in the liver, abdominal pain, discomfort or uneasiness in the stomach region, fatigue and fever.

Toxic hepatitis is caused due to the intake of poisonous foods and chemicals including drug and substance. This causes serious liver damage and can be fatal.

Fatty Liver disease is a condition in which excess of fat molecules gets collected in the liver causing edema or swelling, high Blood Pressure and liver failure. It can happen due to consumption of excess alcohol, obesity, malnutrition, infections and due to certain powerful drugs.

Liver cirrhosis is the terminal stage of liver disease mostly causing death. Group of dead tissue gets collected in the liver which impairs the functions of the liver. It would also compress and cause pressure on the veins present inside the liver causing portal Hypertension.

Liver cyst is the condition in which abnormal fluid gets collected on the sacs of the liver causing sharp pain on the right shoulder and right abdomen.

Liver Cancer can also cause liver pain apart from other vital symptoms like loss of weight, Anorexia nervosa and fatigue.

Symptoms :

Some of the common signs of liver pain can produce nausea, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite, lethargy, pain in the right abdomen, bloated sensation and difficulty or discomfort in the stomach.

Liver pain can be felt with symptoms of Diarrhea and abdominal swelling and passing of dark colored stools. These symptoms indicate problems in gastro intestine.

Individuals with pain in the right abdomen, with breathing difficulty should seek immediate medical care since it can be due to portal hypertension.

Diagnoses :

In case the doctor cannot diagnose the reason for liver pain he may order for liver function tests and urine test.

Treatment :

Treatment can be given after finding out the underlying factor that causes liver pain. You can get temporary relief by taking anti inflammatory drugs, and analgesics.

Liver Pain – Symptoms, Location, Causes and Treatment

Liver Pain – Symptoms, Location, Causes and Treatment

Liver Pain Symptoms

There are many causes of pain of the liver and one of them is caused as a common byproduct of Alcoholism, and may also be a indication of cirrhosis which is the damaging of the liver caused by chronic disease of the liver. Cirrhosis is one of the 2 most common reasons for pain in the liver. Additionally to alcoholism, cirrhosis may as well be caused by toxins, infections, as well as an assortment of genetic diseases.

Then second most common condition that can cause pain in the liver is hepatitis. This is Liver Inflammation and additional indications of this illness include:

• Dark urine


• Abdominal pain


• Itching


• Stools which are pale

Hepatitis may be triggered by bacteria, parasites or viruses. It also can be initiated by alcohol or drug abuse or an acetaminophen overdose which is Tylenol. There is as well a version of hepatitis which is an autoimmune type and basically means that the cells of immunity are battling the liver.

Pain in the liver also can be caused by Fatty Liver illness that is a condition causing the fat cells to collect inside of the cells of liver. Many individuals who have fatty liver illness do not have any indicators, so this condition is normally identified following a liver function test which is abnormal.

An individual can also feel pain in the liver because of gallstones. Gallstones are rock-hard stones formed in definite organs such as the gallbladder as well as the bile duct. Other symptoms of gallstone can include:

• Abdominal bloating


• Back pain


• Excess gas


• Lower abdominal pain


• Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is not only a symptom; it may in some cases be a cause of pain in the liver alone. Pancreatitis is Pancreas inflammation, and can be either chronic or acute. Additional symptoms of pancreatitis are:

• Elevated respiratory rates


• Elevated heart rates


• Abdominal tenderness


• High Blood Pressure


• Indigestion


• Weight Loss


• Vomiting

Pain in the liver can also be an indication of “Irritable Bowel Syndrome” or IBS. This is a problem that creates pain in the abdomen, Constipation as well as Diarrhea.

Liver Pain Causes

Causes of liver pain can be associated to problems which involve the liver by itself, but pain in the liver can as well be the secondary effect of a difficulty involving another portion of the body, especially the bladder, biliary tract, or blood vessels.

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If pain in the area of the liver is not directly coming from the liver, it could be because of a blockade of the biliary tract, such as a stone. This kind of liver pain, which is also known as biliary colic, usually begins abruptly and can last for several hours. Discomfort can begin in the middle upper quadrant or the right upper quadrant, and can radiate to the shoulder or areas in between the shoulder blades.

Pains in the liver caused by biliary colic are more likely to occur after an individual has consumed a fatty meal.

There are numerous probable causes of pain in the liver besides those already discussed. Some of these likelihoods are listed below and include:

• Bearn-Kunkel syndrome


• Dubin-Johnson syndrome


• Ascites


• Gastritis


• Liver Abscess


• Leukemia


• Liver Cancer


• Pancreatitis


• Mononucleosis


• Peptic Ulcer disease


• Schistosomiasis


• VLCAD deficiency


• Weil syndrome


• PylePhlebitis

Liver Pain Treatment

A physician can use some of the many symptoms present to assist in making a diagnosis of the cause of liver pain. Diagnosing the underlying disease and eliminating the possible cause of the disease is the most crucial part of liver pain management. For instance, a drug or alcohol addict needs to quit alcohol or drugs, or else the use of medications will be meaningless. Due to liver dysfunction, toxins or waste products will build up in the bloodstream. One way to get rid of the toxins quickly is by drinking plenty of water and other fluids. Waste products collecting in the skin result in Itchy Skin but the physician can prescribe tablets to help control the itching.

It is necessary to maintain liver health by following a diet which is healthy and by avoiding those things that can cause liver dysfunction.

Here are some probable actions to get rid of liver pain:

• Sufficient hydration as well as repletion of electrolytes


• Management must be largely preventive, sanitation which is good, count on drinking water which is clean and suitable personal hygiene.


• Hospitalization is prudent for individuals who are not able to retain oral ingestion


• Antiviral agents


• Flagyl


• 3TC


• Interferon alpha II b


• Adefovir


• Entecavir

Certain medications are usually very effective in relieving any pain in the liver area. They include:

• NSAIDS or Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, that decrease the symptoms of swelling as well as pain


• Meperidine – also known as Demerol


• Morphine

Several of the measures which can be preventive of pain in the liver are:

• Rather than giving up alcohol totally, many physicians are advising not to over consume alcohol as that often triggers the abusing of alcohol and causes more damage not just with the liver but to all organs of the body.


• Medications should never be taken without consulting with a physician as any of the many medications which contain acetaminophen can be very dangerous to the liver and health at large.


• The consumption of junk food or any foods enormously high in spices can damage the liver greatly.

However several disorders for example cirrhosis causes acute as well as permanent damage to the liver, which can end in death as there is not any substitute for the liver. So individuals should avoid any action which can cause the failing or the dysfunction of the liver as survival is impossible without this major organ. So it needs to be taken care of in order to live a healthy life.