^

Health

Pain in the liver

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
Fact-checked
х

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.

If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.

Pain in the liver is a pain in the glisson capsule and peritoneum covering the liver. In the liver itself, pain receptors are absent, there are many of them in the fascia (connective tissue of the capsule). Thus, pain in the liver can appear only in the case of hepatomegaly - an increase in the body and tension of the capsule walls or due to inflammation of the gallbladder and bile ducts.

trusted-source[1]

Causes of pain in the liver

Functional causes of pain in the liver: 

  • Alcohol intoxication.
  • Excessive physical activity, overstrain.
  • Chronic or acute stress.
  • Nutritional load - the use of fatty, heavy food.
  • Medication intoxication.

Organic causes of pain in the liver:

  • Cirrhosis is the primary biliary, autoimmune or alcoholic.
  • Steatosis of the liver (fatty transformation of liver cells).
  • Chronic or acute hepatitis.
  • Abscess of the liver.
  • Liver cysts.
  • Benign tumors of the liver.
  • Amyloidosis of the liver.
  • Wilson's disease is an enzymatic degeneration, a violation of copper metabolism.
  • Hyperbilirubinemia - Gilbert's syndrome (genetic disease - pigmentary hepatosis).

The causes of pain in the liver are both hepatic colic and diabetes mellitus.

trusted-source[2], [3]

What does the liver hurt?

Other diseases that cause pain in the liver, as a result of irritation or pressure on the liver:

  • Acute and chronic cholecystitis
  • Cholangitis
  • Gastritis
  • Right-sided lower-lobe pneumonia
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Pain in the liver can be misinterpreted with a general abdominal pain. In this case, pain in the liver can be triggered by biliary calculi, intestinal pain, pancreas diseases (acute and chronic pancreatitis).

Pain in liver disease

Pain in liver disease does not always indicate the disease of the organ itself, most often it is a sign of pathological changes in the hepatobiliary system as a whole. The most frequently diagnosed diseases, which are characterized by pain in the right hypochondrium, are viral hepatitis, both acute and chronic. Less often, purulent inflammatory pathologies, parasitic diseases and liver tumors are detected, this is due to the organ's high capacity for regeneration. Thus, the liver for a long time resists any disease, while its resources are not depleted.

Pain in liver disease can indicate such diseases: 

  • Hepatitis associated with infectious processes in the body (gastrointestinal tract, lungs, heart).
  • Acute and chronic viral hepatitis.
  • Infectious mononucleosis (viral pathology affecting the lymph nodes).
  • Leptospirosis (acute infectious disease).
  • Hepatitis caused by the herpes virus.
  • Yellow fever (febris flava) is a hemorrhagic disease of infectious nature.
  • Enteroviral hepatitis.
  • Cytomegalic hepatitis caused by cytomegalovirus.
  • Hepatitis caused by gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria (cocci).
  • Legionellosis is a severe form of infectious pneumonia with hepatomegaly.
  • Autoimmune hepatitis.
  • Cirrhosis of the liver of various etiologies.
  • Steatosis (fatty degeneration) of the liver.
  • Sclerosing cholangitis is acute or chronic.
  • Hemochromatosis - hereditary pigmentary pathology, cirrhosis.
  • Tumors, including malignant.
  • Abscesses of the liver, including parasitic origin.
  • DZHVP - dyskinesia of bile ducts.
  • Cholelithiasis.
  • Acute or chronic cholecystitis.

Pain in liver disease is not specific, pulling or sharp pain in the right side can indicate a dozen diseases, so it is advisable to consult a doctor who differentiates the symptomatology and puts the correct diagnosis.

Pain in cirrhosis of the liver

Pain in liver cirrhosis is characteristic of a neglected process, when complications accompanying cirrhosis develop. Cirrhosis is a progressive pathology, the rate of its development can be varied - from one year to many years, when the disease practically does not manifest itself as obvious signs. The gradual decrease in the number of able-bodied hepatocytes and the replacement of parenchymal tissue by connective, fibrous growths disrupt almost all the functions of the liver, but it does not hurt until it is enlarged. When hepatomegaly (an increase in the body) develops liver failure, there may be portal hypertension, and then the first alarming symptoms appear. The appearance of stupid, drawing painful sensations indicate a serious pathology of the organ. Chronic pain in cirrhosis of the liver can be accompanied by vomiting or nausea, ascites, a yellow tinge of the skin and eyes, diffuse itching, dyspepsia, fever. A characteristic feature, in addition to pain, are the so-called "hepatic signs" - common vascular "stars", as well as redness (erythema) of the palms.

Pain in liver cancer

Oncopological processes in the liver, like many other pathologies of this organ, often develop and last for a long time without obvious clinical symptoms, which is a real problem for both cancer diagnosis and attempts to treat it. Only when the process often becomes irreversible, the pain in liver cancer becomes pronounced. This is due to the high regenerative ability of the liver, which until the last tries to fight the pathology on its own, and when its resources are depleted and the tumor grows in size, signs of illness appear. The tumor exerts pressure on nearby structures and organs, the general condition of a person worsens. Pain in liver cancer is rarely acute, they are usually combined with such symptoms: 

  • Decreased performance, pronounced fatigue, weakness.
  • Gradual decrease in appetite, which leads to a decrease in body weight right up to cachexia.
  • Changing the stool is a causeless alternation of constipation with diarrhea.
  • Ascites are a fluid in the abdominal cavity.
  • Pain in the right hypochondrium becomes chronic, permanent, independent of diet or exercise.
  • There may be yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Pain in liver metastases

Pain in liver metastases is almost always associated with the terminal stage of the oncological process in many organs - in the stomach, in the large intestine or mammary gland, in the lungs, in the pancreas, in the bone system, or in the brain. Most often, pain with liver metastases occurs in patients with gastric or intestinal cancer, as well as those in whom lung cancer is diagnosed. Such patients among all who have metastases in the liver, more than half. About a third of patients with metastases in the liver are those with esophageal cancer and melanoma. Pain in metastases in the liver is almost not found in cancer of the larynx, prostate, ovarian cancer or uterus, bladder tumor and kidney. Metastasis to the liver proceeds asymptomatically at the first stage, only when the process becomes extremely destructive, hepatomegaly develops, typical pain occurs with liver metastases that are permanent, chronic. In themselves, the painful sensations are not so terrible for the patient, rather the general condition burdens the complex of pathological symptoms - subfebrile fever, weight loss, weakness, persistent nausea, ascites.

Pathogenesis

The mechanism of pain development is as follows: 

  • pathological processes in the hepatic parenchyma occur secretly, without obvious symptoms.
  • develops perihepatitis - inflammation of the peritoneum.
  • the liver begins to increase develops hepatomegaly.
  • The walls of the glisson capsule are stretched.
  • there is pain.

The more the wall of the capsule stretches, the more painful sensations in the right hypochondrium. Pain in the liver can also develop due to external pressure on the capsule and peritoneum from the gallbladder and bile ducts, sometimes painful symptoms are associated with inflamed appendicitis or intercostal neuralgia. The causes of pain in the right hypochondrium are diverse, they can be both organic and functional.

Symptoms of pain in the liver

Pain in the liver can be of different types: a feeling of heaviness in the right hypochondrium; constant during the day; aching; pain that increases with physical activity, running; after taking fatty, fried or spicy food.

Symptoms of pain in the liver can be manifested thus: 

  • Drawing, dull pain in the right side (in the hypochondrium).
  • Pain on the right, giving in the back.
  • Itching, which can be felt in the abdominal area, and throughout the body.
  • An eructation with a characteristic odor of a rotten egg.
  • Jaundice shade of skin and eyes.
  • General weakness, apathy.
  • Headache.
  • Pain in the muscles (most often in the back and legs).
  • Nausea

Symptoms of pain in the liver are characterized by the fact that they can change the level of intensity depending on physical activity, changes in diet. It should be noted that dull, aching pains are a sign of an acute process, as in the chronic course of the disease the liver, as a rule, does not hurt at all. The main danger of liver pathology is asymptomatic, because without timely diagnosis and treatment chronic hepatitis can lead to fatty degeneration, cirrhosis and even liver cancer.

Also, the symptoms of pain in the liver are often signs of the disease of the nearby organ - the gallbladder, which is anatomically located side by side. Biliary colic can be mistaken for liver pathology, and inadequate treatment (mainly self-medication) results in calculous cholecystitis to rupture of the bladder. In addition, analgesia of traumatic or acute pain with the help of antispasmodics complicates differential diagnosis and aggravates the inflammatory process in the biliary tract.

An important diagnostic value is the irradiation of pain in the liver to other parts of the body. Often the pain radiates into the back, the right scapula, the right side of the neck.

Often, pain in the liver is accompanied by other symptoms: heartburn, nausea, vomiting, bitterness in the mouth, belching, bad breath, bloating (flatulence), stool disorder - constipation or diarrhea.

In case of complication or aggravation of the disease or in the involvement of other organs in the pathological process, the following symptoms may occur: fever, weakness, fatigue, decreased efficiency, lethargy, jaundice, skin itching. Headaches and fainting, hemorrhages on the skin, impotence and menstrual irregularities can be observed.

Symptoms of pain in the liver, which requires emergency medical attention: 

  • Frequent vomiting with bile.
  • Acute pain in the right hypochondrium.
  • Jaundice of the skin and eyes.
  • The appearance of telangiectasias (vascular asterisks) on the face, shoulders, abdomen, chest.
  • Hyperthermia, combined with a pain symptom in the liver.

Severe pain in the liver

For hepatitis, as a rule, severe pain in the liver is not characteristic, rather they are associated with biliary colic, when the muscles of the gall bladder or duct are spasmodic due to a blockage in the stone. Such pain is specific - it manifests itself by a fit, suddenly starting and gradually fading. Often before a colic a person is strongly irritated, nausea, discomfort in the middle of the chest ("under the spoon") can be felt. Painful symptoms have a clear localization in the right hypochondrium, less often in the middle, they are given to the right shoulder, interscapular space. The pain is so acute that a person loses his ability to work, his body temperature rises sharply, vomiting occurs. Colic can last quite a long time, up to 20-24 hours. Severe pain in the liver can also be evidence of cancer in the last stage, infectious mononucleosis. Painful symptoms can be associated with rupture of a cyst of parasitic origin, an abscess, an attack of acute pancreatitis, a pathological change in the right kidney and appendicitis.

Aching in the liver

This is a typical pain that accompanies a variety of organ pathologies. It should be noted that virtually all chronic functional changes in the hepatobiliary system, including inflammatory character, are asymptomatic. Aching pain in the liver indicates a neglected disease, which developed for a long time. The first symptom that needs to be paid attention to prevent the development of the disease is a periodically appearing sense of heaviness in the right hypochondrium. A feeling of heaviness can arise either after eating, or under physical stress, or independently, without an objective reason. Heaviness over time grows into aching, drawing pains, which can irradiate upwards - under the scapula, in the neck, in the back. A characteristic feature of aching pain in the liver, this property is enhanced by overexertion, slopes or stress. Quite often these symptoms are accompanied by eructations, a feeling of nausea, flatulence, stool (constipation or diarrhea). The jaundice of the skin shows the overgrowth of the disease into an acute form, in which intense pain is not always manifested. If the yellow shade of the skin, the eye proteins does not cause a person to see a doctor and begin treatment, in addition to the aching pain in the liver becomes permanent, itching itch all over the body, the working capacity decreases, and weakness develops.

trusted-source[4], [5], [6], [7], [8]

Pulsating pain in the liver

Pulsating pain in the liver is really a pulsation of the organ synchronously with the heartbeat, which may indicate a pathological insufficiency of the tricuspid heart or aortic valve. With developed pathology, pulsation can be palpated, sometimes it can be seen with the naked eye, especially if the liver itself is enlarged. Also, throbbing pain in the liver can be a sign of an aneurysm of the hepatic artery.

Pulsation can be a consequence of chronic stagnant processes in the liver, which in turn are provoked by cardiac pathologies - insufficiency of the tricuspid valve, stenosis of the mitral valve, adhesive pericarditis. If the stasis process develops in the right atrium, the pressure in the hepatic veins also increases, the central veins are forced to expand. Slowed blood circulation leads to the fact that the central veins are filled with blood, provoke portal hypertension and hypoxia. Centrobular necrosis of liver cells develops, the parenchyma degenerates into connective tissue. The liver increases, it can move, pulsates. Pulsating pain in the liver is accompanied by nausea, a sense of heaviness, painful sensations in the right hypochondrium, similar to the signs of hepatitis. This syndrome in clinical practice was called cardiac cirrhosis, which, in addition to the above symptoms manifests itself as a characteristic combination of icterus and cyanosis of the skin.

Sharp pain in the liver

Sharp pain in the liver is uncharacteristic for most organ diseases, rather, it is the main symptom indicative of acute cholecystitis. Cholecystitis is manifested by a sudden, sharp pain that radiates up and to the right. Pain can be felt under the right scapula, collarbone, in the neck and even under the right jaw. Sharp pain in the liver is so intense that changing the posture, position does not bring relief to the patient. The attack is accompanied by chills, febrile condition, nausea, often with vomiting, and can also turn yellow skin. These painful sensations are often a sign of a hepatic clique, which it would be more correct to call biliary colic. Colic develops when the gallstone moves along a narrow, stagnant bile duct. This syndrome is also characterized by acute, severe pain in the liver, which is combined with a headache, but neither vomiting nor febrile condition causes. Biliary colic, especially primary, is usually removed by spasmolytic, which is not characteristic of acute cholecystitis.

Dull pain in the liver

This is a characteristic pain in the disease of the hepatobiliary system. Acute pain is a rarity and a sign of a prolonged inflammatory process in the terminal stage. Drawing, aching, dull pain in the liver is evidence that the organ pathologically grows and stretches the surrounding fibrous capsule in combination with the peritoneum layer. In these fascia there are a lot of pain receptors located throughout the layer, so the pain most often does not have a clear localization. It should be noted that the liver as an organ is not equipped with specific nerve endings, signaling pain, liver tissue can only be regenerated or pathologically transformed into fibrous-fatty scars. Dull pain in the liver is not a specific symptom, it can be a sign of a variety of diseases, which only the gastroenterologist can differentiate. In addition to aching pain in liver, gallbladder and biliary duct disease, other symptoms may also indicate - yellowness of the skin and eye proteins, nausea and lack of appetite, irritability, general weakness, constipation or diarrhea. In tumorous processes, dull pain in the liver is accompanied by cachexia, obvious signs of liver failure and manifests itself only in the late stages of the disease.

trusted-source[9]

Pain under the liver

Pain under the liver, that is, in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen, can testify not only about the pathologies of the organ itself, but also be a symptom of the following diseases: 

  • Inflammation of the appendix.
  • Inflammatory process in the ureter.
  • Gynecological diseases in women (ectopic pregnancy inflammation of the appendages).
  • Cholecystitis.
  • Diseases of the intestines.

Pain under the liver, especially acute, accompanied by fever, nausea, can primarily testify to appendicitis. Characteristic signs of an inflamed appendix are: 

  • Accurate localization of pain, which is not typical for hepatic pathologies.
  • The pain does not change the intensity for several hours.
  • Pain can move to the navel area.

They can also be associated with ulcerative colitis, granulomatous enteritis (Crohn's disease), helminthic invasion, amebiasis, lumbosacral osteochondrosis, urolithiasis. Gynecological diseases, characterized by pain in this area, include tubal (ectopic) pregnancy, cysts or ovarian tumors, chlamydia or trichomoniasis, endometriosis.

Pain in the liver after antibiotics

Pain in the liver after antibiotics develops due to the fact that the drug is perceived by the body as a toxin when its utilization occurs, but sometimes the interaction of the liver and the drug is unequal. The mechanism for neutralizing the medicament is as follows: 

  1. The transformation of antibiotics occurs with the help of enzymes, resulting in the formation of metabolites - both active and inactive, affecting the liver parenchyma. Thus, damage does not cause the product itself, but the products of its decay. 
  2. The liver tries to neutralize metabolites by binding them with glutathione and other substances, which somewhat reduces the toxic effects and pain in the liver after antibiotics. 
  3. The liver tries to remove the processed, bound metabolites with the help of urine and bile. Metabolites can change the consistency of bile, making it more dense and viscous (a sluggish syndrome), which causes stasis, dysfunction and inflammation.

Pain in the liver after antibiotics develops due to acute medicamentous hepatitis, which is formed 5-7 days after the start of antibiotic use. The danger of drug-induced hepatitis is that it is clinically similar to classical acute hepatitis. The signs are almost identical - the yellowness of the skin, nausea, lethargy, weak pain in the right hypochondrium, dark urine, discolored feces. Once the drug is canceled, a positive dynamics is visible, which is uncharacteristic for true hepatitis in acute form. Cholestasis, bile thickening syndrome and even biliary colic can cause drugs from the group of macrolides, cephalosporins, penicillins.

Pain in the liver after alcohol

The liver is able to "tolerate" the alcohol load for a long time, so the pain in the liver after alcohol indicates acute intoxication of the body or that the latent degeneration of the parenchyma into the fibrous tissue has passed to the terminal stage. The liver processes alcohol with specific enzymes - alcohol dehydrogenases, which split alcohol to acetaldehyde, which are strong toxins. Next, the liver tries to remove acetaldehydes, but it takes time for the entire processing process. For processing 10 grams of alcohol at 40 degrees, the liver takes an hour. If a person consumes much more and more often, pain in the liver after alcohol is inevitable, since the body simply can not work at this speed. Developed pathological condition - fatty degeneration (infiltration) of tissues, because instead of treating lipid compounds, the liver struggles with alcohol attack. Regenerative liver resources are depleted, alcoholic hepatitis develops, cirrhosis, and then liver failure.

Nausea and pain in the liver

Nausea and pain in the liver are two "inseparable" companions, which are typical for many diseases of the hepatobiliary system. Hepatitis - both medicamentous, and viral, alcoholic, as well as cholecystitis, gallstones and other diseases of the liver and bile ducts are accompanied by blunt or acute pain and nausea. They are a sign of exacerbation of the disease, especially it is characteristic for hepatitis and cirrhosis in the terminal stage. Nausea can be persistent, permanent, which indicates an active process of inflammation and degeneration of the liver parenchyma. If these symptoms are combined with a yellow shade of skin and itching - this is a sign of severe exacerbation, which requires an immediate call to the doctor. Also, the feeling of nausea, and then aching pain are typical for medicinal hepatitis and exacerbation of cholecystitis. Nausea and pain in the liver in combination with chills, fever, profuse (profuse) then indicates a possible cholelithiasis. Periodically occurring nausea and pain in the liver in the absence of pathological functional changes may be a consequence of banal overeating, especially if the menu had fatty, smoked and spicy dishes.

Pain in the liver after eating

Pain in the liver after eating occurs only when there are problems in the hepatobiliary system, that is, the function of the liver and bile ducts is impaired. A normal liver is quite efficient and can carry any nutritional load, of course, once. For the liver, however, as for any other organ or system of the human body, a healthy, balanced diet is of great importance. It is important and the amount of food, and its composition, and the combination of substances that are contained in the products. Pain in the liver after eating can occur when heavy fats are misused, that is, food containing animal fats - meat, fatty broths, as well as any buns in butter, cakes or pastries. Also, the liver does not really "like" the abuse of acidic and acute products, including vegetable origin - garlic, radish, mustard, sorrel, horseradish, marinades, and pickles. Pain in the liver after eating can also develop due to stagnation of bile, then it is not a liver disease, but the state of the gallbladder and bile ducts.

Pain in the liver during pregnancy

Pregnancy means serious changes in the body of a woman, including protein, carbohydrate and fat metabolism, which can give an additional burden to the liver. Pain in the liver during pregnancy is most often associated with a decrease in detoxification activity of the organ, less often with chronic, disrupted pathologies or abuse of fatty, spicy food. Any painful symptom worries future mother, because the disease can affect the condition of the fetus. This directly affects the pain in the right hypochondrium. Pain in the liver during pregnancy, not associated with external effects (food, physical overload) may indicate cholestasis, latent hepatitis, cholelithiasis. Any of these pathologies is a serious threat to the process of bearing a child, in addition, and acute hepatitis, and narrowing of the bile ducts provoke an early toxicosis of pregnant women. It should be noted that hepatitis A or B is not transmitted to the baby, they are more likely to play a pathological role in prenatal development and affect the mother's condition during pregnancy. Hepatitis C, which is called "affectionate killer" does not show pain symptoms, but can be deadly to the fetus and the mother herself. Pain in pregnancy can be associated with cardiopathology when a tricuspid or mitral valve is deficient. Almost all 100% of pregnant women underwent a prophylactic medical examination when being registered in a women's consultation, so the threatening pathologies of internal organs and systems are usually detected early in pregnancy. Pain during pregnancy, manifested later, is more likely to indicate that the diet has been disrupted or the mother's organism has been exposed to a viral infection. All anxiety symptoms require immediate attention to the treating doctor for adequate therapy.

Acute pain in the liver

Acute pain in the liver can be caused by dyskinesia of bile ducts (DZHVP). Dyskinesia is classified by two types - hypotonic and hypertonic type. Such painful sensations are characteristic for hypertensive dyskinesia, when the activity of contractions of the gallbladder is much higher than normal, and bile stagnates. This leads to inflammation and often to the formation of stones. The inflammatory process, developing, is manifested by a vegetoneurosis, a violation of defecation - constipation alternates with diarrhea, there is a feeling of nausea and a sharp pain in the liver, which gives to the right collarbone, shoulder blade, shoulder.

Also, acute pain in the liver is a typical sign of CLD - cholelithiasis and colic. Provoke liver colic can fatty or spicy food, psycho-emotional stress, physical stress, body vibration when traveling in transport or working in an inclined posture. Hepatic colic in women can be associated with the menstrual cycle or the postpartum period. The attack precedes the feeling of heaviness to the right in the side, nausea. Acute pain in the liver most often wakes a person in the middle of the night, irradiates to the right upper side, sometimes under the right jaw. The pain is spastic and may be accompanied by vomiting, feverish condition.

Another reason, which is characterized by acute pain in the liver, is an attack of malaria, a disease that is very rare. The fibrous capsule of the inflamed liver is strongly stretched, the spleen is enlarged, if the fever lasts a long time, the pain intensifies.

trusted-source[10], [11]

What if I have pain in the liver?

Many ask themselves a question - a pain in the liver, what to do? To this question, of course, the gastroenterologist, hepatologist or oncologist will be best able to respond. If the patient for some reason does not have the opportunity to immediately consult a doctor, the following recommendations will help to slightly reduce the intensity of the manifestation of pain: 

  • First of all, with the first symptoms of pulling periodic pains, preventive measures should be taken - to take the course of hepatoprotectors and cholagogue. As hepatoprotectors suitable Hepabene, Essenizale, Karsil, Darsil. Cholagogue preparations - Hofitol, Allahol, Holemax. Also I will approach grassy gathering with an immortelle, corn stigmas, artichoke. 
  • You can try to remove acute pain with antispasmodics, taking a pill of papaverine or no-shpy, spasmalgon or baralgina. 
  • It is mandatory to observe a strict diet, which excludes, at least for 10 days, the intake of spicy, fatty, fried or sour food. 
  • An alkaline drink is shown - mineral water without gas. 
  • It is necessary to include in the diet pangamic acid (vitamin B15), which is contained in barley and rice bran. You can also take a course of methionine (14 days for 2-3 tablets daily before meals).

If the anxiety symptomatology does not subside, but only develops, the question - the pain in the liver, what to do, there is one answer - to urgently consult a doctor to timely stop the pathological process and prevent complications.

Treatment of pain in the liver

This is not only neutralization of pain, but also general therapeutic measures to eliminate the root cause of pain. It is for this reason, with the first alarming symptoms, you need to turn to a gangster - to undergo a checkup, clarify the diagnosis and begin treatment. At home, the treatment of liver pain should correspond to maximum safety and simplicity, this is due to the fact that the pain symptom can indicate a variety of diseases not associated with the liver, for example, an attack of appendicitis. Uncontrolled use of medications can really relieve discomfort, but at the same time lubricate the clinical picture and make differential diagnosis more difficult.

Treatment of pain in the liver can consist in stopping the sharpest symptom - pain itself. For this, any non-prescription antispasmodics, such as noospina, baralgin, and papaverine are suitable. It should be noted that liver pathologies, as a rule, are not associated with acute intolerable pain, which must be removed immediately. If such pain is present, it can mean a hepatic (bilious) colic or an attack of acute cholecystitis, which, incidentally, is not treated with spasmolytic drugs.

In stationary conditions, the treatment of liver pain with an attack of hepatic colic is carried out with the help of injectable antispasmodics (atropine, platyphylline, baralgin), and sublingual nitroglycerin is also indicated. Novokainovuyu blockade is carried out in exceptional cases. Further, the therapy is carried out according to the compiled therapeutic plan, which is developed on the basis of the symptoms and data of a comprehensive examination - a biochemical blood test, urine and feces, ultrasound.

Treatment of pain in the liver can be very long - up to one year, it all depends on the severity of the pathological process, the reserve capacity of the body and the hepatobiliary system as a whole. Long-term use of hepatoprotectors, strict diet, physical activity and constant medical supervision are indicated.

Medications for pain in the liver

Medications for pain in the liver are, as a rule, drugs that eliminate stagnation or obstruction of the biliary tract and drugs that protect the liver from possible aggressive effects (hepatoprotectors). The modern pharmaceutical industry offers new, complex medicines that combine these two actions in one capsule or pill - elimination of bile stasis and liver protection. Also, medicines for liver pain can be spasmolytic, that is, those that relieve the primary pain symptom. After the pain is stopped, a long course of combined hepatoprotectors and enzyme intake is shown, in order to reduce the burden on the liver.

As hepatoprotectors, plant-based preparations - Liv-52, Galstena, Darsil, Karsil - are effective. This includes the essential phospholipids, which, in addition to possessing a hepatoprotective effect, regulate lipid and carbohydrate metabolism well. This can be Lipostabil, Essenicale Forte, Livolin, Essliver, Phosphonciale.

As drugs that improve fermentation, a regular intake of Mezim, Enzymthal, Unimax or Festal is indicated.

It should be noted that the above drugs improve liver function. However, cures for pain in the liver, in the sense in which it is perceived by the patients themselves, are drugs that quickly relieve the pain symptom. One of the most effective means for neutralizing spasms of the biliary tract, which is most often associated with acute pain, is No-shpa and baralgin.

A more detailed and detailed treatment regimen can be made only by the attending physician on the basis of data from a comprehensive examination and depending on the diagnosis.

How to relieve pain in the liver?

How to relieve pain in the liver? Especially, if the liver hurts periodically, without attacks and exacerbations, is there a remedy that can be used independently without fear and anxiety?

For the relief of chronic, drawing pains in the liver, provided that you know for sure that there is no inflammation of the appendix or a possible shift of the stone in the gallbladder, vegetable preparations or broths of herbs will do. The following plants possess antispasmodic properties: 

  • Fennel.
  • Anise is ordinary.
  • Dill.
  • Peppermint.
  • Pharmaceutical camomile.
  • Goatee Goose.
  • Cornweed steep.
  • St. John's Wort.

All these plants contain an effective alkaloid, which relieves spasms. In addition, the question of how to relieve pain in the liver can be answered by the advice of alternative healers who claim that the use of plants containing bitterness helps to alleviate painful sensations. Among the herbs, which include bitterness, the following are available: 

  • Wormwood.
  • Air is marshy.
  • Gentian.
  • Icelandic moss.
  • Dandelion.

These plants activate the outflow of bile, which greatly facilitates pain in the liver with hepatic colic.

Also, the answer to the question - how to relieve pain in the liver, can be the reception of warm mineral water without gas. If in a glass of mineral water at room temperature (Essentuki 4, Borjomi) add one tablespoon of natural honey and drink the mixture on an empty stomach in the morning, in the afternoon, most likely, the pain in the liver will not bother you.

All other symptoms are more acute pains, indomitable vomiting or nausea, hyperthermia, fever require urgent medical attention.

Anesthetic for pain in the liver

An anesthetic for pain in the liver is taken in cases of severe hepatic (bile) colic, acute cholecystitis, less often with other pathologies. This is due to the fact that many liver diseases, although accompanied by pain, but it does not have the character of strong, intense sensations, that is, tolerant. In addition, quite often a strong pulling pain occurs with active physical exertion, in which case the techniques of abdominal deep breathing are shown to restore the correspondence of the blood flow velocity in the liver with the general accelerated circulation. All other situations, when an anesthetic is required for pain in the liver, are associated with an attack, and therefore with a spasm. It is logical to assume that the pain will be alleviated by an antispasmodic. In the list of safe, over-the-counter drugs, No-shpa (Drotaverin) occupies a leading position, which is an effective myotropic antispasmodic. It is also possible to take papaverine, dibazol, dospatulin. A good analgesic for pain in the liver is any drug containing peppermint, and even an independently prepared infusion or a peppermint broth is able to remove colic of low intensity. If taking non-prescription drugs does not work, self-medication can lead to menacing consequences, so you should call a doctor who differentiates the true disease according to the symptoms and prescribes adequate treatment.

trusted-source[12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17]

Herbs for pain in the liver

Herbs for pain in the liver are a good adjuvant, improving the outflow of bile, which activates the regenerative properties of the liver, which has a hepatoprotective effect. In addition, almost all medicinal pharmaceutical preparations aimed at protecting the liver are developed on the basis of plant components, among them the well-known Carlsil and Darcil, Gepabene, Legalon.

Herbs for pain in the liver, which can be taken alone in the form of broths and tinctures: 

  • Milk thistle is the leader among phyto-drugs for liver repair.
  • Clover is lupine.
  • Calendula.
  • The immortelle is sandy.
  • Peppermint.
  • Corn silk.
  • Tansy.
  • Birch leaves.
  • Barberry.
  • Hop.
  • Dandelion.
  • Rosehips.

The simplest recipes, in which herbs are involved in pain in the liver, are:

  • You need to take 20 grams of dry ground mint and 1 tablespoon chicory roots, pour 1, 5 lire of boiling water and boil 2-3 minutes, no more. Insist the broth is necessary for 10-12 hours, it is most convenient to brew the product in the evening and insist the night. In the morning, strain, and drink during the day in parts. Course - 14 days, then a break for one week and treatment is repeated. In addition, that a similar composition normalizes the liver, improves bile outflow, mint has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and improves sleep. 
  • In the spring, as soon as the dandelions bloom, you should stock up on the healing means - honey from the flowers. 300-350 heads of dandelions, which are collected in an environmentally clean place, pour a kilogram of natural quality honey. After 1.5 months, the curative will be ready. Dandelion honey can relieve pain in the liver, but it is better to use it for prevention. Take this honey should be 1 teaspoon twice a day before meals (for half an hour).

Nutrition for pain in the liver

Nutrition for pain in the liver is one of the most important elements in the general therapy of the hepatobiliary system. The diet should fulfill the main task - to maximally relieve the liver, but the menu should include a sufficient number of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins. The rules of dietary nutrition are as follows: 

  • The food should be easily digestible protein - white poultry meat, rabbit meat, veal.
  • The use of vegetable fats - vegetable oil, the best purified, refined.
  • The diet should be reduced the amount of carbohydrates, especially it is important for patients with excessive weight. 
  • All products should be subjected to gentle steaming, fried dishes are excluded.
  • The amount of food should be fractional, frequent, every 1.5-2 hours.
  • Food is best cooked in the form of ground foods, well steamed or baked in the oven.
  • The menu should contain fiber (bread with bran, grinded raw vegetables).

Nutrition for pain in the liver includes such products: 

  • Dried rye bread, wholemeal bread, with bran.
  • Dry biscuit biscuits.
  • Vegetable lean soups.
  • Low-fat varieties of meat - poultry meat, lean beef, veal.
  • Sea lean fish - hake, cod, flounder, horse mackerel.
  • Fats: butter - not more than 30grams per day, vegetable oil - up to 50 grams per day.
  • Baked or boiled vegetables - cabbage, pumpkin, carrots, zucchini.
  • Raw fruit juices.
  • Porridge - gerbera, buckwheat, rice.
  • No more than 1 chicken egg a day, better - every other day.
  • Fruits with a sweet taste, sour are excluded.
  • Fruit jelly, mashed potatoes.
  • Honey.
  • Cottage cheese and sour-milk products.
  • Broth of dogrose and raisins.
  • Incomplete tea, better green.

Nutrition for pain in the liver excludes the use of fatty varieties of meat, bacon, you can not eat duck, lamb, strong rich broths. Categorically contraindicated in any quantity of alcohol, mushrooms, chocolate and cocoa, as well as all kinds of canned, smoked or spicy foods.

Diet for pain in the liver

Diet for pain in the liver is a long-known diet number 5 according to Pevzner, designed to treat the liver and biliary tract. The task of this diet is to maximally relieve the liver of fats, while keeping a reasonable amount of carbohydrates and proteins. Diet for pain in the liver suggests the following chemical and quantitative composition of the diet for a day: 

  • Proteins of animal origin - 50-60 g.
  • Vegetable proteins - 50-60 g.
  • Vegetable fats - 30-50 g.
  • Animal fats are better to exclude.
  • Carbohydrates - 400-450 g (sugar not more than 50-70 g).
  • Salt - no more than 10 g, it is better to exclude.
  • Liquid - 1,5-2 liters (fruit drinks, compotes, decoctions).

Diet for pain in the liver is distributed as much as possible fractional - 5-7 times a day in small portions. The total caloric content of the diet is from 3000 to 3500 kilocalories.

An example of a daily ration, which involves a diet for pain in the liver: 

  1. Casserole from 140 g of cottage cheese, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
  2. Oatmeal porridge on milk - 200 g.
  3. Vegetable lean soup - 500 ml.
  4. Stew - 250 g.
  5. Stewed vegetables - 30-350.
  6. Jelly from apples - 100 g.
  7. Casserole with milk on milk and raisins - 20-250.
  8. Compote of dried fruits - 200 ml.
  9. Low-fat kefir - 200 g.
  10. Mineral water without gas - if desired.

The diet should be observed at least a month, and preferably 2-3 months before the full restoration of the functions of the body.

In any case, if you have pain in the liver, you need to seek advice from a gastroenterologist, hepatologist or oncologist. When carrying out certain analyzes and instrumental methods of research, the doctor will determine what to do if the liver is aching and will prescribe an adequate and effective treatment.

trusted-source[18], [19], [20]

Translation Disclaimer: For the convenience of users of the iLive portal this article has been translated into the current language, but has not yet been verified by a native speaker who has the necessary qualifications for this. In this regard, we warn you that the translation of this article may be incorrect, may contain lexical, syntactic and grammatical errors.

You are reporting a typo in the following text:
Simply click the "Send typo report" button to complete the report. You can also include a comment.