The liver is a vital organ that cleans toxins from the blood, helps with digestion, and even fights infection. If the liver continually works hard to process drugs or alcohol, liver disease can develop, which can lead to liver failure. Early liver failure symptoms often are not noticeable, such as liver inflammation. However, these symptoms can lead to fibrosis, or scar tissue. A scarred liver cannot work efficiently, and if not diagnosed and treated, end stage liver failure will begin.
Cirrhosis
By the time cirrhosis of the liver is diagnosed, a great deal of liver damage has already occurred. Symptoms of cirrhosis are tiredness and fatigue, the tendency to bleed and bruise easily, and a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. According to the Mayo Clinic, fluid can also build up in other areas of the body, such as the legs, and you may also experience weight loss, which is attributed to nausea and loss of appetite. Mild symptoms of confusion and memory lapses may also occur. These are the result of the liver's inability to clean toxins out of the blood, which allows them to affect the brain. As cirrhosis progresses into liver failure, these symptoms will become more severe.
Chronic Liver Failure
Chronic liver failure is the end result of liver damage that has been taking place over a period of time. It begins with the inflamed liver, then progresses to fibrosis, and then cirrhosis. When these liver ailments go untreated, the liver eventually wears out, or "fails." Some of the symptoms of liver failure overlap with cirrhosis symptoms. These are nausea and loss of appetite, and fatigue. Swelling of the abdomen and legs can also still take place at this point. Other serious symptoms that can signal liver failure are a yellowing of the skin, and tiredness that goes beyond fatigue. The American Liver Foundation reports that when a person has liver failure, he becomes extremely sleepy, and there is a chance that he may slip into a coma. The mental symptoms of disorientation and confusion now become severe.
Acute Liver Failure
Acute liver failure is also known as fulminant hepatic failure. Unlike the slow progression of chronic liver failure, which progresses from cirrhosis, acute liver failure can take place within a 48-hour period. It can be caused by many things, from a virus to toxic levels of medications. The symptoms are similar to those of chronic liver failure, but they come on suddenly, and include the buildup of abdominal fluid, abdominal pain, yellowing eyes and skin, pale bowel movements, easy bleeding and bruising, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, fatigue, and itchy skin. According to Penn State Children's Hospital, a person with acute liver failure also exhibits the symptoms of mental confusion, along with unpredictable behavior.
