Aside from skin, the liver is the largest organ in the body and also one of the most important. Our livers filter blood that is then circulated to other organs in our bodies. It is therefore vital that we keep our livers healthy and happy. The problem is, we can't see our livers.
So how can we know if it's healthy or not? Well, we've listed 6 tell-tale signs that your liver is full of nasty toxins so you can correct it before it's too late!
1: Pain In Your Liver
One of the most obvious signs that your liver is not a happy bunny is a pain in your liver. Due to its large size, the pain can vary from a dull ache to excruciating. Our livers are found in the upper right portion of your abdomen, under your stomach and beneath your diaphragm. Pains in our livers is our body's way of telling us it is struggling.
Remedy: Try reducing alcohol consumption to allow your liver to filter those nasty toxins out.
2: Swollen Ankles And Legs
When we fall over, we often see a bruise or cuts and scrapes there afterward. Your liver is no different. If it is trying to heal itself, scar tissues will form which limits the filtering abilities of this tireless organ. If a liver is unable to filter effectively, often portal hypertension will occur which causes blood pressure in the portal veins to increase. As a result, your legs and ankles will begin to store excess fluid.
Remedy: Try eating a cleaner, high-fiber diet to help cleanse your liver.
3: Weight Gain
Weight gain can be caused by any number of issues, primarily a poor diet. However, it can also be a sign that your liver is struggling. When the liver is unable to filter all the toxins, it will get rid of them by storing them in fat cells.
Remedy: Ensure that you are consuming a balanced diet with fewer processed foods.
4: Allergies
It is important to get tested for allergies before jumping to conclusions. Nonetheless, if your liver becomes overloaded with toxins, it will have no choice but to let them enter the bloodstream where they shouldn't be. Your body will, in turn, try to rid itself of these terrible toxins, leading to allergic reactions.
Remedy: Drink plenty of water to flush out your system.
5: Yellow Skin And Eyes
Unless you were born with yellow skin, this should be considered an immediate signal that your liver is unhealthy. This yellowish pallor is known as jaundice and appears when the liver is no longer able to filter out bilirubin from dead red blood cells, you begin to appear yellow thanks to bilirubin's yellowish pigment.
Remedy: If you're a smoker then make it your goal to give up.
6: Chronic Fatigue
If your liver has been working overtime to filter out unhealthy toxins, then sooner or later it will begin to flag. When this happens, you will experience flu-like symptoms or extreme tiredness for months at a time. A liver's job, among other things, is also to turn glucose into glycogen which your body can use for energy. If your liver is overworked and unable to make glycogen, then your body will be lacking energy.
Remedy: Try ensuring you get at least 8 hours of sleep a night as our livers often need time to recover too.
