Enlarged Liver Symptoms

Enlarged Liver: Introduction

Enlarged liver or hepatomegaly is generally an increase in size of the liver. This condition can be caused due to a number of reasons. The liver of an adult is shaped like a football. It can get enlarged due to an underlying health issue and cause various health disorders.

This can include conditions such as hepatitis, congestive heart failure or cancer which can be treated after identification of the exact cause.

What are the Enlarged Liver Symptoms?

Your liver is able to repair itself in case it suffers an injury or gets diseased. But when liver cells get damaged over an extended period, the regeneration of damaged cells abates. This can lead to inflammation of liver cells.

The most common cause of enlarged liver is existence of an underlying disease, specifically ones that lead to fat accumulation in cells of the liver.

Common symptoms for enlarged liver:

• Feeling full
• A feeling of discomfort in the abdomen
• If you have a liver disease, you may have symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, weakness, jaundice, or weight loss

Inflammation of the liver generally does not cause symptoms as it lacks nerves that can feel pain. But there may be abdominal discomfort as and when the swelling increases and puts pressure on the organs surrounding it.

Symptoms and signs of enlarged liver may be felt as a feeling of fullness or it may be felt as a mass at the top right corner of the abdomen.

You may feel pain at certain locations of the liver when a light pressure is applied. Symptoms of enlarged liver may in some cases, take place along with an infection such as jaundice.

A noticeable loss of appetite is another among enlarged liver symptoms. You may start disliking, or develop intolerance, to certain type of foods.

The enlarged liver signs and symptoms are similar and can be confused with that of a swollen spleen. The symptoms should not be ignored but be reported in earnest to a professional medical practitioner.