Liver cirrhosis is a type of liver disease, resulting from chronic damage to liver cells. Healthy liver tissue is replaced with fibrous, non-living scar tissue and the liver takes on a yellowish, nodular appearance. Liver cirrhosis is caused by alcoholic liver disease, chronic viral hepatitis, bile duct disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (fat buildup that is not due to alcohol) and genetic diseases such as Wilson disease.
Liver Cirrhosis Symptoms
In cases of mild cirrhosis, the liver is able to repair itself and continue its important functions. However, as damage continues and liver cirrhosis progresses, more healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue. The liver may begin to fail or give up altogether.
Early stages of liver cirrhosis often have no symptoms – symptoms tend not to occur until liver damage is advanced. When symptoms do occur, they may include:
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss due to malnutrition
- Fatigue and weakness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Fluid buildup in the abdomen
- Swelling in the legs
- Intense itching
- Visible spider-like blood vessels
- Bruising and bleeding easily (perhaps nosebleeds or bleeding gums)
- Frequent infections
- Jaundice – a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes due to the presence of bile in the blood
- Vomiting blood or observing blood in stools
- Gallstones
- Mental confusion and difficulty concentrating due to an accumulation of toxins in the blood
Living With Cirrhosis of the Liver
Cirrhosis of the liver may be treatable, depending on the cause of the cirrhosis and the amount of damage to the liver. Medications or lifestyle changes can stop further deterioration of the liver and prevent complications due to liver cirrhosis. When living with liver cirrhosis the following lifestyle changes may be beneficial:
- Avoiding alcohol completely even if cirrhosis is not caused by alcohol consumption. Treatment for alcohol addiction may be necessary if cirrhosis is caused by alcoholic liver disease
- Medications for liver damage caused by hepatitis B or hepatitis C
- Blood pressure medications
- Eating a healthy, balanced diet to prevent malnutrition
- Reducing salt in the diet to avoid fluid buildup in the abdomen or legs
- Avoiding raw shellfish such as oysters – this contains bacteria which can cause severe infections in people affected by liver cirrhosis
- Taking regular exercise
- Careful management of medications, herbal remedies and food supplements
- Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza and pneumonia vaccinations to help prevent infections
- Regular tests for liver cancer – cirrhosis increases the risk of liver cancer
The liver is the largest gland in the body and performs numerous vital functions, including excreting poisons from the body, producing bile, purifying the blood, producing blood-clotting substances, storing glycogen and important vitamins, and metabolic processes. It can take many years for liver damage to cause cirrhosis, but if liver cirrhosis becomes so advanced it is untreatable, the liver may stop working completely and a liver transplant may be necessary.
For more information about alcohol and its related effects, readers may be interested in Four Stages of Alcoholic Liver Disease, The Health Effects of Binge Drinking and How to Tell if Someone Has Alcohol Problems.
Resources:
American Liver Foundation. "Cirrhosis" (Accessed 19th January 2011).
Mayo Clinic. "Cirrhosis" (Accessed 19th January 2011).
MedlinePlus. "Cirrhosis" (Accessed 19th January 2011).
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. "Cirrhosis" (Accessed 19th January 2011).
Sharon Kirby - Sharon is a freelance health writer and contributes to various print and online publications. Writing credits include Nursing Times, Good ...
