The liver is responsible for many different functions in the body, some so important that failure to do them can lead to death. The liver helps to filter blood and break down old red blood cells, helps digest food, make important proteins, filter alcohol and medications from the system, and store nutrients, according to the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago. Liver disease is a generic term for a whole host of liver problems from Hepatitis C to alcoholic liver disease. Not all liver diseases have the same cause, but the end stage symptoms of all these diseases are similar.
Jaundice
When red blood cells are broken down, there is a build up of bile, which has a yellow or brown pigmentation. The liver processes this and gets rid of the bile by moving it into the colon. Throughout the course of liver disease, there may be a yellowing of the skin and eyes, called jaundice, due to a back up or overproduction of bile. Nearing the end stages, the periods of jaundice may occur more often and last longer, according to MayoClinic.com. End stages of liver disease may give way to a permanent yellowing of skin as the liver can no longer remove the bile from the system.
Ascites
Ascites is a build up of fluid in the abdomen due to high blood pressure in the liver and low albumin levels. Initially, this symptom may be seen more with alcoholic liver disease, but in the end stages of liver failure, the liver will start to develop higher blood pressure and cause the blood and other fluids to back up into the abdomen, according to the National Institutes of Health. The abdomen will be visibly swollen and a positive fluid wave sign can be seen when the stomach is pushed on from one side, much like pushing on a water bed.
Toxin Build Up
Since the liver is one of the main filters for the body, liver failure allows toxins to build up in the blood stream. This leads to mental confusion, or hepatic encephalopathy. Permanent brain and nervous system damage can develop, according to MayoClinic.com.
Bleeding
The whole GI system can be affected when the liver does not function properly. The high blood pressure in the liver can back up, causing blood vessels near the esophagus to swell and burst. When this happens, the person may vomit blood, which will look like dark ground coffee beans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Bleeds also can happen in the colon, which leads to dark, tarry stools.
