If death had a VIP pass to our bodies, it would be issued by the liver – no skipping the line, no other way around. When liver failure enters the chat, it hollers "Game Over." But what exactly is liver failure and why should you care? Well, brace yourselves for a crash course on this grim reaper of organs.

From filtering toxins like a highly competent waste management system to producing crucial substances for digestion, your liver is the office all-rounder. When this versatile organ throws in the towel, we're left with escalating symptoms that start off lying on a spectrum from nausea and vomiting to itchiness and jaundice.

You might be thinking, "Hold on, I've had a dodgy night out and woken up with those symptoms!" Unfortunately, as the plot thickens, the signs escalate. Picture loss of appetite, fluid retention causing ascites, and unsolicited gifts like rectal bleeding – welcome to the fun house of liver failure.

This joy ride can be chronic or acute. The former happens over time, triggered by various conditions, whilst the latter is a sudden event resulting from enemies like a virus, medication, or Dick Dastardly disguised as an autoimmune disease.

Symptoms of acute liver failure are impatient kids sprinting onto the playground. Depending on the cause, they may surface within days, pushing you to a point of no return faster than Acetaminophen poisoning. Chronic liver failure, on the other hand, is the tortoise in the race. But don't be fooled - the symptoms might develop slower, yet they're consistent in becoming worse over time.

Liver failure comes with a cherry on top - it can reduce your appetite. Turns out, a tango of imbalance between hunger hormones, leptin and ghrelin, can cause your appetite to jump ship.

Then there's the not-so-sweet dreams of inconsistent sleep caused by these liver problems. Apparently, your liver needs to be in top shape to hustle against toxins invading your system, and when it's not, you're likely to play host to a night owl lifestyle no one asked for.

Another showstopper of liver failure is itching. It's a pick-and-mix of itchy palms, soles of the feet, or other limbs leaving you doing the funky chicken dance in public.

One common sign? The beauty that is jaundice. Imagine waking up looking like a yellow highlighter - an overflow of bilirubin in the blood, which should have been handled by your liver, causes your skin and eyes to yellow.

Additionally, the liver does an important side gig in blood clotting. So, when your liver is on strike, you become prone to unexplained bleeding. And of course, we can't ignore the fashion accessory of liver failure - fluid retention or ascites, which causes your midsection to inflate.

Between jaundice, nausea, fatigue, itchy skin, and a lost appetite, liver failure feels like an unending thriller. If your body is signaling distress, don’t ignore it. Be proactive, visit a healthcare provider, and remember, health isn't a destination, but a journey of conscious choices.