Abdominal Pain and Swelling
Liver damage and disease will inevitably cause some kind of pain. Most patients mention a dull throbbing in the right upper abdomen. Some describe it as stabbing pain. This could be attributed to personal pain tolerance. There are also cases where the pain is accompanied by swelling and pain that radiates throughout the back, particularly by the shoulder blades.
Abdominal swelling occurs when fluid builds up within the abdominal cavity. Fluid often enters the abdominal cavity from the liver and intestines when the liver is dysfunctional. Signs of swelling in the abdomen include shortness of breath, discomfort, distension, and pain.
Commonly, those with Reye’s syndrome, cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, liver cancer, hemochromatosis, or obstruction of the hepatic vein will develop abdominal pain and swelling.
