Subtle signs your liver isn’t working properly after Michelle Trachtenberg’s tragic death at 39
Experts have revealed the subtle signs of liver damage after Michelle Trachtenberg’s sudden death.
The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was found dead Wednesday in her New York City apartment of ‘natural causes,’ police revealed.
It’s unclear exactly what caused her death, but sources reported the actress recently underwent a liver transplant due to damage caused by alcohol addiction.
The reports have not been confirmed, but sources suspect there ‘may have been complications’ following the procedure.
One in 100 Americans are diagnosed with liver disease, and the condition kills nearly 50,000 every year.
However, the CDC estimates nearly 100million people are living with some form of liver disease and are unaware.
This could be because symptoms are subtle at first, such as a yellow tint in the eyes or skin, dark urine, and fatigue.
Alcoholism is the number one cause of liver disease, as breaking down alcohol can cause the liver to produce harmful substances that damage the organ’s cells and cause scar tissue to form.
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, 39, died this week from ‘natural causes.’ Sources reported it may have been related to a recent liver transplant
Trachtenberg, pictured here in a recent Instagram post, sparked health concerns over slightly yellow eyes, a sign of liver failure
The most severe form of scarring, called cirrhosis, is irreversible and kills off healthy tissue, with the only cure being a liver transplant.
Viruses like Epstein-Barr and hepatitis may also cause inflammation of the liver, which damages the organ over time.
Trachtenberg has sparked health concerns in recent years over pictures with slightly yellow skin and eyes.
This is called jaundice, which is caused excessive levels of the pigment bilirubin in the blood.
Bilirubin is a component of bile, which is produced by the liver to help digest food.
The liver normally helps filter bilirubin out of the blood, but damage to the organ prevents it from removing the substance.
This causes it to accumulate in the blood and deposit itself in tissues like the whites of the eye and the skin.
Bilirubin also gets excreted in the urine, making it look darker.
The liver also normally produces bile, which gives stool its dark color.
However, a damaged liver prevents the liver from making enough bile, causing stool to look pale or clay-colored.
The liver may also be damaged due to blockages in the bile ducts, preventing bile production and resulting in pale stools.
Jaundice is caused excessive levels of the pigment bilirubin in the blood. The bilirubin secretes through tissues like the whites of the eyes (stock image)
Authorities are still investigating the full cause of Trachtenberg’s death
Experts from the Mayo Clinic also point to fatigue as a subtle sign of liver disease.
The liver normally helps process nutrients and chemicals that regulate metabolism. But if it becomes inflamed or scarred, the lack of nutrients and buildup of toxins like bilirubin could lead to fatigue.
Inflammation caused by liver damage also releases inflammatory cytokines, proteins that attack the central nervous system and deplete energy levels.
A scarred liver’s inability to process nutrients can also result in malnutrition and weight loss.
