Liver disease is one of the most common causes of death in the U.S., with an average of 31,000 people in the U.S. dying each year from cirrhosis.

A person’s liver is typically damaged due to his or her lifestyle choices, as constantly consuming large amounts of alcohol, smoking cigarettes or overeating unhealthy food can put added stress on the liver. When a liver gets overstressed, it cannot break down fats and produce energy, which will cause a person to become tired.

Doctors have just spoken out to warn of six symptoms of liver damage that everyone should look out for. If you find yourself experiencing these, you might want to change your lifestyle as soon as possible.

Abdominal Aches:  According to Bruce Bacon, a professor of internal medicine and chair of gastroenterology at the St. Louis University School of Medicine, said that one of the main symptoms of liver damage is abdominal aches. He explained that it’s common for people with damaged livers to feel swelling or pain in the right upper quadrant of your abdomen because the liver is in this part of the body.

Yellow Skin or Eyes (Jaundice): Jamile Wakim-Fleming, a liver disease expert at Cleveland Clinic, said that liver damage can cause a person’s eyes or skin to turn a yellow color because the damaged liver is allowing bilirubin (a yellow compound) into your blood. Fleming said that a healthy liver will dispose of bilirubin easily.

Pain In Your Joints: Fleming explained that joint pain is another symptom of liver damage, along with vomiting, fatigue and loss of appetite. These are all interrelated symptoms of liver disease, specifically autoimmune hepatitis. In this condition, a person’s immune system attacks the cells in the liver, and experts say this happens far more commonly in women than in men.

Skin Spots: Skin spots can occur on people with damaged livers because the liver is not properly cleaning the blood in your body, causing clotting problems, according to Fleming. She added that this clotting can also lead to large blemishes.

Confusion: People with damaged livers often become confused as well, according to Fleming. A liver that is not properly working can allow a buildup of too much copper in the blood and brain, which can then lead to Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. This is often a symptom of late-stage liver disease, so a person will likely experience other symptoms before this one.

Muscle Wasting: Fleming said that a final common symptom of liver disease is an oversized stomach combined with swollen ankles and skinny/weak arms and legs. She explained that this is also a symptom of late-stage liver disease.

One of the best ways you can prevent liver damage is by increasing your intake of vitamin E. Sources of vitamin E include nuts, wheat germ, seeds, vegetable oils and leafy greens. In addition, you should monitor your alcohol intake, as drinking too much alcohol is the main cause of liver damage. A study at London’s Royal Free Hospital found that regular alcohol drinkers who stopped drinking for just one month saw their liver fat reduced by 15% and also saw an improvement in their blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels.

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