What is cirrhosis of the liver?
In cirrhotic liver cells die off and create scar tissue. This scar tissue can go shrivel later. Cirrhosis literally means "scarring". Through the atrophy of the liver is failing badly. This can be quite gradual, but also very fast. The damage to the liver does not go away.
Causing liver gets damaged? This happens for example by liver diseases such as liver inflammation (hepatitis), the disease hemochromatosis (iron overload); heart disease or long-term use of certain medications. A major cause of cirrhosis is drinking too much alcohol.
Cirrhosis can not be cured. It is good to prevent worse. This is possible by the liver disease to be treated causes the cirrhosis. Is a liver disease not to be treated, then there are drugs in order to protect the liver from further scarring. It is also important not to drink alcohol. This also applies to people whose liver cirrhosis is not caused by alcohol. By not drinking prevents your liver becomes even sicker. If the liver stops functioning, a liver is necessary.
Cirrhosis sometimes causes an increased risk of liver cancer. Your doctor can provide more information.
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| Cirrhosis of the liver |
What causes cirrhosis of the liver?
Cirrhosis can have different causes:
- drinking too much alcohol (alcohol addiction);
- certain medications;
- exposure to certain chemicals;
- viral infections (e.g., hepatitis B);
- auto-immune diseases (including autoimmune hepatitis);
- chronic blockage of the bile ducts;
- poor blood outflow from the liver, as in the Budd Chiari syndrome;
- cardiovascular diseases (cardiac cirrhosis);
- malnutrition;
- Wilson (a metabolic disorder);
- hemochromatosis (iron overload, a metabolic disorder);
- alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (an inherited disease in which the liver does not produce a particular protein);
- too much in the blood galactose (galactose is a sugar), for example at the liver disease galactosemia;
- too much tyrosine in the blood at birth (tyrosine is an amino acid, a substance by which proteins are formed);
- glycogen storage disease (hereditary muscular metabolic diseases).
What are the signs and symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver?
Cirrhosis often causes no symptoms. Usually doctors detect the disease by chance.
Sometimes people have symptoms such as:
- a vague abdominal pain;
- fatigue, feeling sick;
- little point in eating and weight loss;
- nausea and vomiting;
- emaciation;
- itching;
- yellow skin and yellowish whites of the eyes (jaundice).
Eventually the liver gives up. The harmful substances which extracts the liver normally from the body, remain in the body. The body itself poisons. The toxins also affect the brains to which a person may fall into a coma.
How is cirrhosis of the liver diagnosed?
If your doctor suspects that you have liver cirrhosis, she does one or more of the following examinations:
- A physical examination. With some types of liver cirrhosis, the doctor may feel that the liver is enlarged.
- A blood test. From the blood to make on how severe the liver is damaged. Blood tests also can detect the hepatitis virus.
- A Look investigation. The doctor looks at your liver using an ultrasound, CT scan or MRI scan.
- A liver biopsy. To diagnose liver cirrhosis with certainty, the doctor may remove a piece of liver for research.
What is the treatment for cirrhosis of the liver?
The treatment of liver cirrhosis depends on the cause. Some diseases that cause liver cirrhosis can be treated effectively. The liver shrivels no further. The scar tissue that has formed, remains. Cirrhosis itself is not treatable. If the liver eventually stops functioning, a liver transplant is needed.
The effects of hepatic cirrhosis are sometimes to be treated. So avoid his esophageal bleeding by sclerotherapy esophageal varices. The physician then a spray of liquid in and around the varicose vein. This makes the varicose veins are hard. In portal hypertension can take blood pressure lowering medication. Still other drugs help prevent itching.
When cirrhosis is important that the disease continues. What can you do?
- Absolutely not drink alcohol;
- good food: diet with adequate carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and low in fat.
- low-sodium food. This helps in accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. Sometimes the doctor also writes for diuretics.
- use as little medication as possible. The liver must break down this fact.