The human liver performs many important functions for the body, including detoxification, maintenance of blood glucose and cholesterol levels, digestion and circulation. Cirrhosis is irreversible damage to the liver caused by alcoholism, hepatitis, obesity or metabolic problems. Although some people can live for years with no symptoms, cirrhosis can progress to the point at which it causes potentially fatal systemic effects.
General Symptoms
Cirrhosis of the liver can cause a number of symptoms throughout the body. Some people may start to experience nonspecific symptoms such as poor appetite, weight loss and a general feeling of malaise (feeling weak, ill or tired). As cirrhosis progresses, the palms of the hands may become red (palmar erythema), the salivary glands in the cheeks may enlarge, muscles may atrophy (waste away), the spleen may become enlarged and spider-like blood vessels in the skin may appear.
A condition known as Dupuytren's contracture may develop, causing the tendons in the hand to shrink and the fingers to curl up. Men may see changes to their sex organs because the liver can no longer break down estrogen, developing shrunken testes (testicular atrophy), enlarged breasts (gynecomastia) and disappearance or thinning of armpit hair.
Cirrhosis also affects the peripheral nerves of the brain and spinal cord, leading to a condition known as neuropathy, which causes numbness, tingling, burning or general loss of sensation in the limbs, hands or feet.
Jaundice
Cirrhosis can cause the flow of bile (a substance produced by the liver to aid digestion) to become chronically blocked, leading to a condition known as jaundice. Jaundice causes the skin and whites of the eyes to become yellowish. It may also cause significant abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, purpura (reddish or purplish discolorations on the skin) and an altered mental state.
Advanced Cirrhosis Symptoms
When cirrhosis reaches an advanced stage, a number of additional serious symptoms may emerge. Because the liver can no longer effectively regulate the body's blood flow, high blood pressure can develop in the liver's portal vein (the vein that brings in blood from the intestine), causing veins to dilate and twist at the bottom of the esophagus. This is a condition (called portal hypertension) that can cause the abdomen to become distended. Gastric or rectal varices (dilated veins in the stomach) can also occur as a result of portal hypertension. The malfunctioning liver may also release substances that are normally filtered out of the body into the bloodstream. When those substances reach the brain, people may develop hepatic encephalopathy--a condition in which brain function is altered. While possibly reversible, encephalopathy can produce symptoms of mental confusion or forgetfulness.
Other serious complications that can occur with advancing cirrhosis include kidney failure, osteoporosis, anemia and liver cancer.
