Health experts have warned that some unusual signs of a potentially deadly disease could appear on the hands. People have been urged to be wary of these symptoms as they could indicate chronic liver disease.
The liver is a crucial organ that performs more than 500 functions, such as turning food into energy and getting rid of toxins in our blood. Therefore, any problems with the liver can be dangerous.
What is particularly insidious about liver disease – whether caused by consuming too much alcohol or a build-up of fat in the organ – is the fact that it typically doesn’t display symptoms in the early stages. This means you might not realise you have the condition until it is quite advanced.
The Cleveland Clinic explains: “You might begin to notice more symptoms when your liver function begins to decline. This happens in the later stages of liver disease.
“One of the first side effects of declining liver function is that bile flow stalls in your biliary tract. Your liver no longer produces or delivers bile effectively to your small intestine. Instead, bile begins to leak into your bloodstream.”
This can lead to signs such as:
- Jaundice (yellow tint to the whites of your eyes and skin)
- Dark-coloured pee (urine)
- Light-coloured poop (stool)
- Digestive difficulties, especially with fats
- Weight loss and muscle loss
- Musty-smelling breath
- Mild brain impairment (hepatic encephalopathy)
- Pruritus (itchy skin, but with no visible rash).
But as liver disease advances, it can affect your blood flow, hormones and nutritional status. “This can show up in various ways,” the clinic says. “You may see signs and symptoms in your skin and nails.”
Three distinctive examples of this to look for on the hands include:
- Nail clubbing
- Red palms
- Terry’s nails.
Nail clubbing
This phenomenon can cause the nails to appear wider, sponge-like or swollen, “like an upside-down spoon”. The clinic says: “Nail clubbing can affect a few of your nails or all of them. Often, it starts in your thumb and forefinger (pointer finger) before spreading to other nails.”
This can be caused by cirrhosis – severe scarring of the liver. It is thought this is because cirrhosis can cause increased blood flow in the fingers, which dilates the veins.
Red palms
The British Liver Trust lists “blotchy red palms” as an early sign of cirrhosis. According to Medical News Today, the palms may also feel warm but will not be swollen, painful, or itchy.
Around 23% of people with cirrhosis will experience red palms, which are known medically as palmar erythema.
Terry’s nails
Terry’s nails occur when most of your fingernail or toenail looks white, like frosted glass, except for a thin brown or pink strip at the tip. The Cleveland Clinic says: “People with Terry’s nails don’t have a half-moon shape (lunula) near their cuticles. Instead, nearly the whole nail looks washed out.”
It was named after researcher Richard Terry, who discovered that around eight in 10 cirrhosis patients had white nails.
Other liver disease symptoms that can affect the skin include:
- Spider angiomas – red marks on the skin that look like spiders
- Tiny red dots on your skin (petechiae)
- Small yellow bumps of fat deposits on your skin or eyelids
- Easy bleeding and bruising.
The NHS lists other signs of liver disease as:
- Feeling very tired and weak all the time
- Loss of appetite – which may lead to weight loss
- Loss of sex drive (libido)
- Yellow skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
- Itchy skin
- Feeling or being sick.
If you experience any symptoms you should speak to your GP.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
