Liver Pain > My Liver Hurts! Where Does Liver Pain Hurt?

Liver problems that cause liver pain

The most crucial liver problems known to modern medicine can cause a degree of liver pain. For instance:

• Viral hepatitis: It is a viral infection with hepatitis virus A, B, C, or D. They cause inflammation in the liver tissue, which is affected in different degrees of severity depending on the virus strain. The liver increases its size and slows down its normal functions. Thus, bilirubin is not metabolized fast enough, and it is accumulated in the blood and eliminated in the urine, causing dark-colored urine and jaundice.
• Alcoholic hepatitis: When you drink too much, and for a very long period, alcohol starts to inflame your liver. It is a toxin, and your liver metabolizes alcohol as soon as possible but gets overwhelmed after a while, and ethanol starts causing free radical damage in the liver. If the problem continues, the liver becomes swollen and tender. These patients often feel weak and tired, reducing appetite because a larger liver sometimes pushes the stomach to one side.
• Fatty liver disease and cirrhosis: Most cases of fatty liver disease do not cause liver pain. It may cause a dull discomfort in the upper right quadrant when it is very severe. Advanced fatty liver disease may result in fibrosis and cirrhosis, which causes liver pain as described above.
• Gallstones: This type of liver pain is caused by calculi in the gallbladder. This is a sac where bile gathers to be delivered into the intestines later on. But when calculi form in the gallbladder, they can migrate to the bile ducts. They are tiny ducts and become obstructed, causing a medical emergency.
• Liver cyst or abscess: A cyst is a collection of liquid, and an abscess is a collection of pus. Liver cysts can be quite large and become tender, but they are sometimes smaller and do not cause symptoms. A liver abscess is a complication of infectious disease and usually causes more noticeable pain. It could require draining as soon as possible to prevent peritonitis.
• Budd Chiari syndrome and portal hypertension: This syndrome features narrower veins in the liver, and the blood does not flow properly. Similarly, portal hypertension is usually due to a blockage in blood flow. They both cause swelling and pain in the liver’s upper right quadrant. Another circulatory cause of liver pain is portal vein thrombosis, but this type of pain is sudden and very severe.
• Liver cancer: When a malignant tumor grows in the liver, the tissue becomes inflamed and swollen. Additionally, cancer puts pressure on adjacent organs and sometimes presses on the nerves, causing pain.