Cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver shows significant scarring as a result of past abuse or injury. This scarring can become so severe that it can interfere with the liver's normal functions, which are controlling infections, processing most nutrients and vitamins, regulating normal blood clotting and regulating several hormonal functions. Additionally, the liver produces the bile that is needed to help absorb fat and fat-soluble vitamins from foods. Because of the impaired hepatic function, you should follow a relatively specific diet to prevent malnutrition and further complications.
Symptoms of Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis can present itself with many symptoms. Fatigue, decreased appetite, nausea and weight loss are some of them. Others include bleeding and bruising easily and retention of water in the abdomen and legs. Additionally, any damage to the liver will affect the adequate production of digestive enzymes and juices, which in turn affects adequate absorption of nutrients and your nutritional status in general.
Treatment for Cirrhosis
Usually, your physician will recommend medications that treat specific symptoms. For example, he might prescribe blood pressure medication to relieve the pressure in the veins around the liver. Aside from that, following a low-sodium diet can help you reduce blood pressure and decrease the amount of fluid retention. Your physician may also want to monitor you closely to watch for any signs of hepatic encephalopathy, which occurs when the liver is no longer able to remove toxins from the blood. This usually presents symptoms such as severe confusion and may even lead to a coma. Thus, it is important to manage your diet to prevent further damage to your liver.
What to Eat and What to Avoid
In general, you can eat most foods and should eat plenty of them to ensure that you are getting the adequate amount of nutrients that you need each day to be healthy. However, avoid foods that are high in sodium. In general, if a serving of a food product has more than 300mg of sodium, it is considered a "high-sodium food" and should be avoided. Aim to consume less than 2,000mg of sodium per day. High-sodium foods include canned soups and vegetables, processed meats or salty snacks such as chips.
Other Dietary Guidelines
Because one of the liver's functions is to prevent infections, with cirrhosis, you will be especially prone to these. This is why you have to be careful to prevent food-borne infections. You can do this by making sure you wash your foods well, prevent any cross-contamination while cooking and disinfect your countertops and utensils regularly. Another thing that you should do is eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of two or three larger ones. This will help you go easy on your liver while digesting and processing food. Ask your doctor if it is a good idea for you to start taking a nutritional supplement or a multivitamin, especially if you are losing weight. Finally, stay active. An active body is a healthy body.
