Signs and symptoms of cirrhosis vary between the different stages and may be undetected until after the initial stage. Biological factors may play a part in inheriting cirrhosis, but that is rare. Behavioral factors play the biggest role. Knowing your risk factors is important for averting this terminal, avoidable disease.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a chronic, irreversible liver disease in which various types of disorders may have damaged the liver’s healthy cells, replacing them with scar tissue. Extensive damage disfigures the liver, resulting in abnormal liver function.
Stages
Cirrhosis has two stages. Compensated cirrhosis is the early stage in which scarring of the liver has begun, but the body will experience few if any noticeable symptoms.
Decompensated cirrhosis is the second stage, which has noticeable symptoms. Scarring of the liver has become so prevalent that essential body functions are impaired, and life-threatening conditions may occur.
Symptoms
Early symptoms of compensated cirrhosis may include fatigue, appetite and weight loss, nausea and abdominal pain. Having a CT Scan or MRI may find liver enlargement in this initial stage.
Later, symptoms of decompensated cirrhosis may include swelling in the feet and abdomen, jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), itching, red palms of hands, easy bruising and excessive bleeding. Men may also experience swelling in the breast tissue or shrinking of the testicles. Some may also find that they are becoming more sensitive to certain drugs due to the liver's deterioration.
Causes
The leading cause of cirrhosis is alcoholism. Other causes include chronic hepatitis B and C, autoimmune hepatitis, bile duct disorders, some types of heart disease, exposure to some environmental toxins and certain types of medications.
Certain inherited or congenital disorders that may lead to cirrhosis include hemochromatosis, or excessive iron in the liver; Wilson’s disease, or abnormal amounts of copper found in the liver; and alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, or absence of a liver enzyme in the body.
Treatment
Cirrhosis is incurable. The main goal of treatment is to slow down the destruction of healthy liver cells by avoiding alcohol, reducing salt, eating healthy and having hepatitis A, B and flu vaccinations. Patients should also speak with the doctor about over-the-counter medications. A liver transplant, which increases survival rate by 70 percent after the fifth year of transplant, is the last treatment option. Currently, no drugs are prescribed for cirrhosis, but studies are under way to help find a cure.
