4. Stool changes.
Bilirubin, the bile pigment excreted by the liver as part of its job to break down waste matter, can turn everything in the body a darker color. When the liver is functioning as normal, stool will be a dark brown color because of its high bilirubin content.
But when liver problems arise, sometimes the stool will turn pale. At other times the stool may turn black, tarry or bloody.
The occasional bout with pale or overly dark stool is normal. But when it starts happening consistently, this is when it is time to schedule a medical exam.
Pale stool that is related to liver damage is typically linked back to a blocked bile duct or impaired function of the entire biliary system (which includes the liver, gallbladder and pancreas).
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Dark, tarry or bloody stool is related to a treatable but irreversible liver condition called cirrhosis. Cirrhosis can be caused by a number of factors, including chronic substance use, genetic diseases of the liver and the hepatitis virus B and C.
