1. Understand Signs of Acute and Chronic Liver Fluke Infection
Liver fluke is a parasitic infection that has two distinct phases: the acute phase and the chronic phase. An acute liver fluke infection occurs when the parasites travel through your body and into your liver, where they mature. Once that's happened, you'll experience a range of uncomfortable symptoms, including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, an enlarged liver, red skin hives and a high concentration of eosinophils in your bloodstream. These symptoms can last for months, even with treatment. The disease reaches the chronic phase when the adult fluke infects your bile ducts. At this point, many patients are asymptomatic, though you may experience warning signs similar to those seen with acute infection, depending on the specific type of fluke. You put yourself at risk for contracting liver fluke by eating undercooked or raw fish or animals or plants that live in fluke-infested waters.
2. Watch for Symptoms of Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is another common liver infection, and doctors have identified a long list of classic signs and symptoms of it. You may experience some or all of the following: unusually dark urine, light or fibrous stools, malaise, loss of appetite, fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, irritability, diarrhea, jaundice, itching and abdominal pain. You should also be aware that some cases of hepatitis B infection are asymptomatic. If you have reason to believe you may have been infected from unprotected sex, sharing needles or dirty tattoo parlor equipment, talk to your doctor to get a blood test.
3. Rare but Serious Liver Infection Symptoms
You're at risk for liver failure if you contract acute fulminant hepatitis, which is a rare but potentially deadly variant of hepatitis infection. Seek immediate medical attention if you have any warning signs of impending liver failure, which include unexplained confusion or dizziness, fluid buildup in your abdomen, swelling of the skin, anemia, an enlarged spleen or liver and unusual bleeding.
