Response:

Liver disease refers to any condition that can affect and damage the liver. Untreated, it risks progressing to scarring, replacing healthy liver tissue, severe cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

Bruising under the skin is one of the signs of liver disease. When the liver is damaged (due to hepatitis, cirrhosis, or liver failure), it produces insufficient protein for blood clotting. Even a minor impact can rupture blood vessels, and without proper clotting, blood leaks into surrounding tissues, forming bruises.

Doctor Thanh advises a patient. Photo illustration: Tam Anh General Hospital

Other signs of liver disease include persistent vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), or abdominal bloating. These occur when protein imbalance causes fluid to leak from blood vessels and accumulate in the abdominal cavity. A damaged liver also severely impairs the body's ability to filter toxins, leading to digestive disorders.

Patients may also exhibit spider angiomas on the skin, characterized by a central arteriole with capillaries radiating outwards like a red spider web, often seen just below the neck. This is typically a sign of chronic liver disease and appears in one-third of all cirrhosis cases.

Poor liver function leads to a buildup of toxins in the body, which eventually enter the bloodstream and spread to the brain. Initially, patients experience symptoms like difficulty concentrating and confusion, later severely impacting sleep quality and causing forgetfulness.

If bruises appear on the skin without impact, spread rapidly, or if many new bruises form continuously, you should seek medical examination for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, if you experience persistent fatigue, bleeding gums, nosebleeds that are hard to stop, or black stools, you should also consult a doctor.

Doctor of First Degree Specialist Hoang Dinh Thanh

Department of Gastroenterology

Center for Endoscopy and Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgery

Tam Anh General Hospital, TP HCM