While cirrhosis cannot be cured, eating right and getting exercise helps many patients feel healthier and respond better to medical treatment, according to Dr. Melissa Palmer in the June 2007 edition of the PBCers Organization Newsletter. Depending on the type of cirrhosis and how advanced the disease is, different levels of exercise are appropriate. Patients should consult their doctors to ensure an exercise program is safe for their condition.
What is Cirrhosis?
Under reasonable conditions, the liver is capable of repairing itself. But years of repetitive injury, usually from alcohol abuse or hepatitis B or C, cause severe scarring on the liver. If the liver is too scarred, it's no longer able to carry out its vital functions. This scarred liver is cirrhosis. Primary biliary cirrhosis is a different liver disease. PBC slowly destroys the bile ducts in the liver, preventing the liver from successfully processing fats, cholesterol and toxins. Eventually PBC can cause enough scarring to turn into cirrhosis. Unlike cirrhosis, what causes PBC is still a mystery, according to MayoClinic.com, although environmental factors and genetics are probably involved.
Cautions
According to the University of Louisville Medical School website, although many patients with cirrhosis can benefit from exercise, they need to be vigilant about their condition. Advanced stage patients often have enlarged veins in their stomach, esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. If their blood vessels rupture, their lives can be threatened by internal bleeding. Patients' immune systems are weakened, and they often suffer from malnutrition and wasting muscles. Keeping all this in mind, patients should approach exercise carefully.
Exercise Fights Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms in both cirrhosis and PBC. Medications often worsen fatigue. But the University of Louisville Medical School website warns that inactivity can make patients even more tired, and suggests patients get regular exercise. If walking for 30 minutes is too much, the patient can attempt three 10-minute walks during the course of a day. Palmer concurs, advising PBC patients to start with small, realistic goals, so as not to get discouraged.
Aerobic Exercise
Regular aerobic exercise increases the efficiency of all the organs, including the liver, according to Palmer. It also increases energy and helps reduce overall body fat, thereby reducing the liver's fat content. This often reduces elevated liver enzymes and lets the liver function more smoothly. Walking, running, bicycling and dancing all elevate the heart rate and provide aerobic exercise.
Weight Lifting
People with PBC are especially prone to developing osteoporosis, a disorder that decreases bone density, said Palmer. Because stronger muscles lead to stronger bones, weight training is extremely useful. Lifting weights also slows the muscle wasting which happens in advanced liver disease. Palmer suggests hiring a personal trainer who makes house calls for patients who are too embarrassed to visit a gym. However, the University of Louisville Medical School website warns patients with varicose veins in the stomach or esophagus against lifting weights.
