What’s Causing Your Liver Pain? Let’s Find The Possible Reasons

3 min readMar 6, 2024

Are you experiencing pain somewhere around your upper abdomen? If so, you may have a problem with your liver. But we would not want to jump to conclusions and, say, immediately call a liver cancer specialist to discuss liver cancer treatments.

There are many potential causes behind your liver pain. Let us explore each of them and gain a better understanding of your condition.

We will also discuss some liver pain treatments to ease your discomfort.

6 Possible Problems Behind Your Liver Pain

Fatty Liver Disease

This condition develops when too much fat accumulates in your liver cells. The fat deposits make the liver swell and become inflamed. Besides pain, other fatty liver symptoms include swelling in your limbs and appetite loss.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis viruses are infections that also inflame your liver. You may experience a dull ache in your upper abdomen as the inflammation worsens, along with symptoms like joint pain and darker urine.

The damage hepatitis causes can lead to a condition called cirrhosis, which we will discuss below.

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is when you have permanent scarring from long-term liver damage caused by diseases like hepatitis and fatty liver. The liver cannot function properly when scar tissue gradually replaces healthy tissue.

Advanced cirrhosis often leads to liver failure. Unfortunately, the problem with cirrhosis is that symptoms like liver pain rarely show until the damage is already severe.

Cirrhosis also significantly increases your risk of developing liver cancer. If you have been diagnosed with cirrhosis, consider visiting a liver cancer specialist for regular screening.

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer can develop if your liver is chronically damaged to the point that its cells mutate. You may start feeling pain in your upper abdomen if your cancer starts advancing to the next stage. Other symptoms that can indicate cancer include abdominal swelling and jaundice.

Getting screened once you start experiencing liver issues can help detect the disease earlier. This improves your response to liver cancer treatments.

Liver Cysts

Liver cysts are usually benign growths in your liver and rarely cause pain. However, they can be painful if they grow large enough and require surgery to remove. Some other symptoms to look out for include bloated bellies and lumps that you can feel when touching your abdomen. Your liver pain can also suddenly intensify if the cyst ruptures.

Liver Trauma or Injuries

Were you recently in an accident that hit your abdomen? Your liver pain can also result from blunt force or penetrating trauma. You may feel exceptionally sore in this area if you have internal injuries. Be sure to seek medical help and have the damage assessed to prevent further bleeding.

Differentiating Between Gallbladder and Liver Pain

The gallbladder is located below the liver, so it can be confusing to determine which organ is causing you pain.

However, there are some ways to distinguish the two:

Gallbladder pain typically feels sharp and sudden, often coming in intervals.
Liver pain has a dull but throbbing sensation that does not go away.

Do not hesitate to get checked at your clinic if you cannot understand the pain you feel. Your physician will help identify the cause.

Easing Your Liver Pain At Home

There are a few liver pain treatments you can do yourself to ease your discomfort, such as:

Avoid eating fatty and processed foods to minimise fat buildup.
Exercise regularly to further reduce your body fat.
Drink plenty of water to help your liver flush out toxins.
You should also avoid drinking alcohol, as this damages your liver.

Let Your Doctor Know About Your Pain

Don’t forget: pain is how your body tells you that something is wrong. You can manage mild liver pain at home, but you should also get checked by a medical provider. The doctor can direct you to other professionals like liver cancer specialists who can develop more specific treatment plans.

Any persistent or acute pain should not be taken lightly, so remember to be more attentive to how you feel.

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