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How to Live With Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is the scarring of the liver. It has many different causes, including chronic alcoholism, cystic fibrosis, Hepatitis B or C, and parasites. Symptoms of cirrhosis include bloating of the stomach, nausea, swelling of the legs, weight loss, loss of appetite, fatigue and bleeding easily. There is no set prognosis of cirrhosis. Those with mild cirrhosis can live for decades, while late-stage cirrhosis is fatal. Living with cirrhosis requires a change in diet and lifestyle. These changes will allow you to best cope with the condition by minimizing symptoms and maximizing life expectancy.

Things You'll Need

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
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Instructions

  1. How to Live With Cirrhosis

    • 1

      Throw out any alcohol in your home, and avoid alcohol completely in social settings. Drinking alcohol, whether or not your cirrhosis is the result of alcoholism, will further damage your liver.

    • 2

      Adjust your diet by restricting protein and sodium in your food. Excess salt and protein must be processed by the liver, thus putting yet more stress on this vital organ.

    • 3

      Eat plenty of plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Malnutrition often accompanies cirrhosis, so make sure you eat nutrient-rich foods.

    • 4

      Avoid raw seafood, such as sushi and sashimi.

    • 5

      Avoid over-the-counter medicines that will further damage your liver, such as Tylenol and other similar acetaminophen medicines. Ibuprofen and aspirin should also be avoided, as they can cause bleeding in the digestive tract.

    • 6

      Stop smoking. Smoking decreases your overall health and well-being, and you want to be as healthy as possible if you are awaiting a liver transplant.

    • 7

      Vaccinate to protect yourself from the flu, pneumococcus and hepatitis. Without vaccines, you're at higher risk for infections that could be fatal to someone with cirrhosis.

    • 8

      Decide whether you want to, or should, make end-of-life decisions. Depending on the prognosis of your cirrhosis, you may want to draw up a will or assign power of attorney to a trusted loved one if you lose the capacity to make your own health-care decisions.

    • 9

      Stay positive. Do the things that make you feel happy and fulfilled, and don't give up on the fight for your life.

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