Abdominal Pain
Patients with a liver disease usually complain of pain in the upper right part of the abdomen as the damage to the organ escalates. The liver ache is like a throbbing and stabbing pain felt right under the ribs. But it could present as general abdominal discomfort, typically associated with spleen enlargement and fluid retention, which often occurs at the advanced stage of the disease. Cirrhosis, one of the most common causes of liver failure, also inflames the entire body, leading to general pain, particularly in the joints and bones.
The liver is a large organ, almost the size of a football. However, it is difficult to pinpoint it directly when the belly becomes painful because it is easy to confuse it with stomach pain. Depending on the cause of the liver failure, it may hurt not just in the abdominal area but also in the back and shoulders.
The liver does not have pain receptors, so when it starts to hurt, it most certainly means there is inflammation in the membrane surrounding it, either due to an infection or injury.
