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Symptoms of Cirrhosis of the Liver

Your liver is an important organ that helps fight infection, makes protein, cleans your blood, stores energy and helps digest food. Cirrhosis of the liver is a scarring of the liver tissue due to a long-term disease or injury. The scar tissue takes the place of healthy tissue and prevents the liver from working properly and obstructs normal blood flow through the liver. The symptoms of cirrhosis can become life-threatening if not controlled with treatment.

  1. Symptoms

    • The early stages of cirrhosis may not produce any symptoms. As cirrhosis advances, you may experience symptoms such as tiredness, weakness, loss of appetite, upset stomach, decreased weight, nosebleeds, bruising, swelling of the abdomen (called ascites), swelling of the legs (called edema), confusion or difficulty thinking, yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes, itchy skin, development of gallstones and decreased kidney function or kidney failure.

      Since your liver isn't able to properly break down medications, they may have a stronger effect on you. Cirrhosis can also cause a condition called portal hypertension that is a high blood pressure in the vein entering your liver. Varices can develop in the stomach and esophagus causing blood in your stools or vomiting of blood. Varices are enlarged veins.

    Causes

    • Causes of cirrhosis can include alcohol abuse, blocked bile ducts, hemochromatosis, Wilson disease, protoporphyria and certain toxins, drugs and infections. Cirrhosis can also be caused by types of hepatitis such as hepatitis B, C, D or autoimmune hepatitis. This disease may also be caused by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In some cases, the cause of cirrhosis may not be known.

    Diagnosis

    • Your physician will diagnose cirrhosis based on a physical examination and specific tests such as blood tests to check liver function, X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound and a liver biopsy. Not all tests will be performed on every individual. Your physician will determine which tests are indicated based on your symptoms and medical history.

    Treatment

    • Treatment of this disease is aimed at treating and controlling the cause of cirrhosis to prevent cirrhosis from getting worse. Treatment, depending on the cause, may include stopping alcohol consumption and medications. The scar tissue cannot completely be cured and liver failure could result from too much scar tissue. A liver transplant may be indicated for liver failure. Your physician will determine which method of treatment is right for you based on your medical history.

    Prevention & Management

    • If you have liver disease, your physician may discuss with you steps to prevent cirrhosis such as following your prescribed treatment for liver disease, eating a healthy diet, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding alcohol and avoiding illegal drugs because illegal drug use can increase your risk of contracting hepatitis B or C. To prevent a worsening of cirrhosis, your should be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B, discuss any medications you take with your physician because your liver may be sensitive to certain drugs and avoid consuming raw shellfish or oysters due to the potential for them to contain a bacteria that can cause severe infections in people with cirrhosis.

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