Cirrhosis of the liver: symptoms, causes, treatment, etc. & bull; hello healthy

x

Definition

What is cirrhosis of the liver?

Cirrhosis of the liver is the final stage of liver disease. This condition is characterized by healthy liver tissue being replaced with scar tissue that is permanently damaged. As a result, liver function does not work properly.

When cirrhosis occurs, liver injury will leave scars and prevent the liver from working normally, including being unable to make new proteins, fighting infection, digesting food and storing energy.

Liver damage can certainly cause problems in all parts of the body. Whenever the liver is injured, whether it is caused by illness or alcohol consumption, it tries to repair itself.

In the process, scar tissue will form. The longer the cirrhosis is left in place, the more scar tissue will make it difficult for the liver to function.

Although liver disease that has entered the stage of cirrhosis cannot be treated, you can consult a doctor to prevent complications. Cirrhosis treatment also aims to relieve the symptoms being experienced.

In addition, detecting liver damage early can also prevent cirrhosis from occurring, so you can avoid the risk of liver failure.

How common is this condition?

Cirrhosis of the liver is a liver disease that tends to occur in heavy alcohol drinkers and is carried out in the long term.

Even so, it is possible that people who do not drink alcohol can also be affected by this condition.

Signs and symptoms

What are the symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver?

Symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver are generally not felt until the liver damage extends. If it is severe, you may experience initial symptoms in the form of:

• feeling tired from losing muscle mass,
• sluggish,
• decreased appetite,
• nausea,
• weight loss,
• swollen liver (fatty liver), and
• palms appear red.

When it has entered the final stage, cirrhosis will be characterized by several conditions, such as:

• yellowing of the eyes and skin,
• changes in urine color to brown or dark yellow,
• hair loss,
• changes in blood vessels in the skin and around the navel,
• breast growth in men,
• easy bruising and bleeding,
• vomiting blood and black stools
• often feel confused,
• swollen stomach and legs,
• itchy skin, up
• coma.

There may be some signs or symptoms that are not listed. If you have any concerns about the symptoms, please consult a doctor.

When to see a doctor for this disease?

If you feel any signs or symptoms listed above, please consult a doctor.

Keep in mind that everyone has different body reactions, always discuss with your doctor what is best for your condition.

Causes and risk factors

What causes liver cirrhosis?

The main causes of cirrhosis are alcoholism or excessive alcohol consumption over a long period of time. Alcoholic cirrhosis is the medical term for the condition.

Apart from alcohol, several types of liver disease and health problems that interfere with liver function can also cause cirrhosis, such as:

• chronic viral hepatitis, such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C,
• non-alcoholic fatty liver,
• buildup of iron in the body (hemochromatosis),
• cystic fibrosis,
• liver infections such as schistosomiasis,
• wilson disease,
• cystic fibrosis,
• alpha-1 antitrypsine deficiency,
• autoimmune hepatitis,
• primary biliary cirrhosis, as well
• side effects of certain medications, such as methotrexate or isoniazid.

What factors increase the risk of developing this disease?

There are several factors that are believed to increase the risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, including:

• excessive alcohol consumption over a long period of time,
• hepatitis virus infection,
• obesity and diabetes, and
• high fat in the blood.

Complications

What are the complications of cirrhosis of the liver?

If liver cirrhosis is not treated promptly, liver damage will develop. Here are some complications of cirrhosis that you need to be aware of.

Portal hypertension

Portal hypertension is the most common complication of cirrhosis. This condition that increases the pressure on these veins can cause blood flow through the liver to become blocked.

When the blood vessels become blocked, the blood vessels in the esophagus, stomach, or intestines will become enlarged or are known as varicose veins. As a result, blood vessels can burst and experience internal bleeding.

Swelling of the legs (edema)

Apart from portal hypertension, an increase in the portal vein also causes fluid buildup in the legs (edema) and in the abdomen (ascites).

Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)

Portal hypertension due to cirrhosis of the liver can also divert blood flow to the smaller veins. Excess pressure also causes these tiny blood vessels to burst and bleed.

This condition can also trap white blood cells and platelets.

Hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy or accumulation of toxins in the brain occurs due to liver function not working normally.

As a result, the liver is unable to clear toxins from the blood which cause a build-up in the brain, making it confusing and difficult for you to concentrate.

Other complications

Apart from some of the complications above, cirrhosis that is not treated promptly can lead to other conditions, such as:

• jaundice in adults,
• malnutrition,
• infection,
• acute-chronic cirrhosis,
• bone disease, and
• increases the risk of liver cancer.

Diagnosis and treatment

How to diagnose this condition?

Patients with early stage liver cirrhosis usually have no symptoms. In fact, cirrhosis is also more often detected through blood tests or routine examinations.

After that, your doctor may order tests to help confirm a diagnosis, including:

• blood tests to check liver function, such as levels of bilirubin and certain enzymes.
• imaging tests, such as MRI, X-Ray, and CT-Scan, as well
• liver biopsy.

What are the treatment options for cirrhosis of the liver?

Basically, the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver is based on the cause and severity suffered.

The goals of this treatment are to slow the progression of scar tissue in the liver and treat symptoms and prevent complications. Here are some ways to treat cirrhosis that are often recommended by doctors.

Stop drinking alcohol

Until now, there is no cure for cirrhosis of the liver. However, you can prevent complications by stopping drinking alcohol.

If you find it difficult to break the habit of drinking alcohol, ask your doctor to refer to a treatment program for alcoholism. The reason is, patients with cirrhosis are strongly discouraged from drinking alcohol because it is bad for the liver.

Low salt diet

A low-salt (sodium) diet is a cirrhosis treatment that aims to prevent fluid buildup in the body. It also helps control ascites and inflammation that occurs in the body.

If the condition is getting worse, the doctor may perform procedures to drain the fluid or surgery to reduce the pressure.

Take medication according to doctor's orders

Although cirrhosis cannot be cured, your doctor may prescribe several medications to treat it. These medicines can at least help control the causes and prevent complications.

Medicines that are prescribed to relieve symptoms of cirrhosis include:

• corticosteroids, such as prednisone and azathioprine,
• antiviral drugs,
• antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin,
• diuretics, such as amiloride and furosemide,
• blood clotting drugs, as well
• vitamin K.

In addition, drugs to control hepatitis to reduce further damage to liver cells due to hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C.

Treatment for complications

Treatment of complications of cirrhosis of the liver caused by increased pressure in the blood vessels in the abdomen depending on body weight.

Medicines and endoscopy can be used for the treatment of enlarged blood vessels in the esophagus (esophageal varices) to prevent bleeding.

Surgery and liver transplant

If the above treatments do not work, surgery and liver transplantation may be recommended by a doctor to treat cirrhosis of the liver.

Can you use herbal medicine to treat cirrhosis of the liver?

Until now, a number of alternative treatments have been used to treat liver disease, such as:

• milk thistle (silymarin),
• long pepper (long pepper), and
• drinking coffee.

Even so, until now there has been no research that can recommend herbal remedies to treat cirrhosis of the liver. In addition, there are a number of alternative remedies that can damage the liver.

In essence, the choice of treatment and treatment for cirrhosis of the liver depends on the cause and degree of liver damage. Always discuss with your doctor the right treatment options for your condition.

Home remedies

Apart from getting treatment from a doctor, there are a number of things that need to be considered when living life as a person with cirrhosis of the liver. Here are lifestyle changes and home remedies that can help treat cirrhosis.

Healthy diet

Liver damage due to cirrhosis of the liver really requires proper nutrition so that liver damage does not develop.

That is why, adjusting the diet of cirrhosis patients is important to ensure adequate nutrition and avoid foods that damage the liver. Here's what you need to pay attention to.

• Limit or stop drinking alcohol.
• A low-fat diet, such as the Mediterranean diet.
• Avoid raw seafood, such as oysters, because they contain bacteria.
• Reduce the amount of salt.
• Replace salt with other spices to flavor food.

Healthy lifestyle

In addition to a healthy diet, treatment for cirrhosis of the liver at home must be supported by a healthy lifestyle as well. Here's what you can do.

• Maintain ideal body weight.
• Exercise regularly.
• Quit smoking.
• Perform routine checks periodically.
• Avoid having sex without a condom.
• Getting the hepatitis B vaccine.
• Avoid using pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and aspirin.