The liver is constantly bombarded by outside influences, whether it be your poor eating habits, smoking, toxic environment or stressful living conditions. Removing these toxins via means of natural methods is important if you wish to restore the proper function of your body’s organs.
The liver is the main organ that retains these toxins. Although the liver will filter out a large majority of toxins, over a long period of time, it will cause chronic disease and illness in the body as a result of impaired liver function.
These 10 symptoms are a tell-tale sign that something is wrong with your liver:
Pain Above The Eyes
If you have a headache that forms behind the eyes, it may be associated with liver issues because of body imbalances. When food and blood isn’t properly digested or filtered, your body will react with inflammation behind the eyes.
Jaundice
A classic sign that liver disease is present, is when the skin and whites of the eyes start yellowing. This happens when bilirubin (a type of bile) that is normally removed from the liver is allowed to build up, and colours the skin.
Constant Nausea
When your liver isn’t working properly, it is common to feel some form of nausea, since the liver is directly related to your digestive system. Keep a track of which foods you are eating, and when you experience nausea. It will likely be the case that when you eat foods with a higher toxic load, that you will experience more nausea.
Bright or Pale Stool
Your stool will be brighter than usual or extremely pale if you have liver issues, because when the liver isn’t working, very little bile is being released. Less bile in bowel movements results in stools that look different than average.
Bitter Taste In The Mouth After Eating
When you eat food, the liver normally releases bile to break down food into digestible pieces. If your liver is failing, you might notice a bitter taste in your mouth after eating food (as a result of your liver releasing unusual quantities of bile).
Bile Attack
If something is wrong with your liver, it is probably secreting bile in abnormal quantities. If this is the case, you will likely feel a rush of bile that moves through your gallbladder, and it may feel tender or painful for a few minutes. A bile attack is a good indicator that the liver isn’t working well.
Chronic Fatigue
Feeling chronically tired and exhausted usually means that liver problems are present. When the liver isn’t healthy, it can’t detoxify blood efficiently. Your blood transports oxygen throughout the body, so if the blood is “sick” so to say, then it won’t perform this task as efficiently. As a result, you’ll notice fatigue throughout the day.
Hemorrhoids or Varicose Veins
When the circulatory system starts to fail, varicose veins and hemorrhoids manifest as a result. As mentioned above, an unhealthy liver encourages poor circulation, which will result in high visibility of veins along the skin.
Pain Under The Shoulder Blades
Your liver sits just below your shoulder blades along your backside. If the liver can’t properly secrete bile, you will sometimes feel pain across your upper to mid-back area.
Stomach Pain After Eating Too Many Fats
The liver also functions as an aid to help digest food. When you finish eating a fatty meal, those lipids cannot be digested well by the liver, and you will usually get a stomachache as a result. Avoid this problem by eating a plant-based diet low in refined and overly-processed food-stuffs.
What can you do to help your liver?
The best way to ward off liver problems is by leading a healthy lifestyle and reduce alcohol consumption. Regular exercise, plenty of water, and consuming a mostly plant-based diet (high raw would be optimal) will help your liver optimize nutrients and stay viable for a good portion of your life. If you smoke, you should quit, and consider reducing the amount of processed foods you eat every day, as well as reduce consumption of wheat and dairy. A 1 litre jar of lemon water in the morning will also help flush out toxins and make your liver work less.
There are also herbs and remedies that help cleanse the liver, and these are:
– Artichokes
– Beets and carrots
– Grapefruit
– Leafy greens
– Avocados
– Walnuts
– Brussels sprouts
– Garlic
– Dandelion greens and dandelion root
– Milk thistle
– Borotutu bark
– Chicory root
– Turmeric
– Peppermint
– Yellow dock root
Helen Gibson says
Another reason people have problems with their liver are statins prescribed by doctors to help lower cholesterol. We pay the price in the end of greedy pharmaceutical companies lying or falsifying studies and where do we get help or advise? Doctors look at us because we're overweight due to sore muscles and fatigue and pains.
Chad says
My liver enzymes were up when I had blood work a couple of months ago. My doctor didn't seem too concerned, but I was. So, after doing research I stopped taking my Effexor, and my Nexium (OTC). I started taking Milk Thistle. I haven't had blood work since, but intend to soon to see if this has helped. I do not drink, or smoke. So I know it cannot be from drinking. According to research Effexor and Nexium only has very rare side effects of elevated liver enzymes. But something has caused it. I seem healthy. I try to eat well, I do not abuse my body by drinking or smoking. So, anyway. I have heard great things about milk thistle.
Carly Fraser says
Milk thistle is great! 🙂 Dandelion greens are also magical for the health of the liver
Megan Young says
This article is worth reading for. Thank you for sharing the 10 symptoms that are a tell-tale sign that something is wrong with a liver. Great post!
Carly Fraser says
Thanks Megan!
Raju Ahammed Ali says
thanks for very necessary helpful article
Maxine says
Hi I have been having this problem myself and my doctor seems like they don’t know what to do, thanks for this info. Blessings