Cirrhosis of the liver: symptoms and treatment, photos, signs
Normally, the structure of the liver consists of the so-called parenchymal tissue, which provides a full blood circulation in the said organ.
With liver cirrhosis, a pathological process of replacing parenchymal tissue with stroma or fibrous connective tissue occurs.
This leads to serious abnormalities in the liver, resulting in the whole body suffers.
Cirrhosis can occur as an isolated condition, but most often it is caused by other pathologies in the liver, or gastrointestinal tract.
Also, the risk of developing cirrhosis increases in people who have bad habits, eat improperly. In view of the fact that cirrhosis is referred to incurable conditions, people with such a disease must constantly be under the supervision of a doctor.
As a rule, cirrhosis of the liver provokes concomitant diseases of the organ. Most often it is one of the viral hepatitis, for example hepatitis C, D or B.
The most dangerous is hepatitis C, the so-called "affectionate killer", the symptoms of which are almost invisible, and the liver damage is very strong. Infection with viral hepatitis occurs mainly during the period of cavitary operations, or blood transfusion. Also at risk are drug addicts and people who lead a promiscuous sex life.
Diseases that cause the formation of cirrhosis of the liver include diseases associated with blockage of the bile duct. As the statistics show, the obstruction of the duct, if left untreated, can lead to cirrhosis in less than a year.
One of the main causes of liver cirrhosis is alcohol abuse. It has been scientifically proven that large doses of alcoholic beverages cause a sufficiently strong intoxication of the body and create an additional burden for the liver, which in time can lead to a pathological condition such as cirrhosis.
A similar effect is also possessed by many medications. Therefore, people who take large doses of drugs recommend the simultaneous use of hepatoprotectors.
In rare cases, cirrhosis of the liver can occur without any concomitant diseases or negative effects of alcohol. In such situations, cirrhosis is called cryptogenic, that is, one that has arisen for an unknown reason.
In the standard course of cirrhosis, the liver passes through three main stages of its development, namely: compensated, decompensated and subcompensated, each of which has its own symptoms.
At the initial stage, cirrhosis manifests itself as weakness, subfebrile body temperature, weight loss and loss of appetite. There are also aching pains that are localized in the right hypochondrium.
As the disease progresses, the number of signs of cirrhosis increases. The patient has a bloating caused by an enlarged liver. There may be jaundice, which manifests itself in the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Also very often there are skin rashes, localized in different parts of the body. They cause the patient quite a strong itch and discomfort.
With cirrhosis, there are many signs from the gastrointestinal tract. The patient may notice that his urine has become too dark, and the feces, on the contrary, brightened.
In this case, there may appear, like constipation, and diarrhea, which often replace each other. They are joined by a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, belching.
Diagnosis of liver cirrhosis begins with the collection of a complete anamnesis of a person, providing information about the presence of any harmful habits.
After listening to the complaints of a person, the doctor, first of all, examines the patient for the presence of a rash, gemorrhagia, vascular asterisks, which may be an indirect sign of problems with the liver.
If there is a suspicion of cirrhosis of the liver, it is mandatory to take blood samples for a general blood test and biochemistry. These tests will show the presence of a pathological process inside the body.
Also, all patients are diagnosed with ultrasound for liver and spleen. Often appoint also computer tomography, angiography, radionuclide scanning. In special cases, a liver biopsy is possible. Most often it is done with suspicion of cancers in the liver tissues.
Treatment of cirrhosis of the liver includes, in the first place, drug therapy.
To date, patients with cirrhosis appoint a large range of drugs that can be divided into the following groups:
Medical treatment is necessarily combined with a sparing diet, in particular, a cirrhotic patient with a recommended diet table number 5.
In some cases, a patient with cirrhosis requires surgery. So the patient can make a paracentesis, a procedure whose essence is to pierce the abdomen in order to remove the accumulated liquid.
The bypass procedure is also often performed, with the help of which new ways for blood flow are created. In the most difficult situations, the liver is transplanted from the donor.
The prognosis for cirrhosis depends on many factors. First, it is of great importance at what stage the disease was detected. Secondly, an important role is played by how thoroughly a person adheres to the doctor's recommendations.
As long-term medical research shows, cirrhosis is an incurable disease. In most people, it proceeds in chronic form, when periods of exacerbation are replaced by long remissions. The prognosis depends on the person's age, social status, general health.
Factors that increase the risk of death from the disease are old age, the presence of varicose veins of the esophagus, belonging to the male sex, increasing prothrombin time,] the presence of hepatitis B.
The prognosis also worsens if the patient is diagnosed with jaundice, neurologic complications, bleeding, ascites, reduction in liver size, arterial hypotension.
Cirrhosis is dangerous not only in itself, but also with multiple complications to which it can lead. One of the most serious complications is hepatic encephalopathy, which eventually can grow into a hepatic coma.
It develops as a result of damage to brain tissues by toxic products that are unable to neutralize the liver. When hepatic encephalopathy is observed confusion, neuromuscular disorders.
Given that cirrhosis significantly affects the flow of blood through the liver, it is possible the formation of dilated veins. As the disease progresses, they may begin to bleed. In such cases, a person has dark blood in the feces, weakness increases, vomiting may begin.
Often with cirrhosis of the patient, the infection is infected. This phenomenon is explained by greatly reduced immunity. Usually, such people are diagnosed with pneumonia, sepsis, infections of the genitourinary system.
In some cases, liver cirrhosis risks developing into a cancerous disease.
Prevention of cirrhosis of the liver consists primarily in the timely detection of any liver disease, especially hepatitis. Especially this rule applies to hepatitis C, which in many cases is practically asymptomatic. That is why it is recommended to have at least once a year an examination with a doctor and take the necessary tests.
The correct diet is of great importance for the prevention of cirrhosis. Its food should be varied with natural food, prepared with the help of cooking or baking, but from foods with artificial substitutes, fried foods cooked using a lot of oil, it is worth noting.
Preventive measures for cirrhosis also include the rejection of such harmful habits as alcohol or smoking. Alcohol, especially if it is used often and in large doses, has a destructive effect on the liver.
That's why people who abuse it, cirrhosis diagnose at times more often than those who lead a healthy lifestyle.
With liver cirrhosis, a pathological process of replacing parenchymal tissue with stroma or fibrous connective tissue occurs.
This leads to serious abnormalities in the liver, resulting in the whole body suffers.
Cirrhosis can occur as an isolated condition, but most often it is caused by other pathologies in the liver, or gastrointestinal tract.
Also, the risk of developing cirrhosis increases in people who have bad habits, eat improperly. In view of the fact that cirrhosis is referred to incurable conditions, people with such a disease must constantly be under the supervision of a doctor.
Causes of liver cirrhosis
As a rule, cirrhosis of the liver provokes concomitant diseases of the organ. Most often it is one of the viral hepatitis, for example hepatitis C, D or B.
The most dangerous is hepatitis C, the so-called "affectionate killer", the symptoms of which are almost invisible, and the liver damage is very strong. Infection with viral hepatitis occurs mainly during the period of cavitary operations, or blood transfusion. Also at risk are drug addicts and people who lead a promiscuous sex life.
Diseases that cause the formation of cirrhosis of the liver include diseases associated with blockage of the bile duct. As the statistics show, the obstruction of the duct, if left untreated, can lead to cirrhosis in less than a year.
One of the main causes of liver cirrhosis is alcohol abuse. It has been scientifically proven that large doses of alcoholic beverages cause a sufficiently strong intoxication of the body and create an additional burden for the liver, which in time can lead to a pathological condition such as cirrhosis.
A similar effect is also possessed by many medications. Therefore, people who take large doses of drugs recommend the simultaneous use of hepatoprotectors.
In rare cases, cirrhosis of the liver can occur without any concomitant diseases or negative effects of alcohol. In such situations, cirrhosis is called cryptogenic, that is, one that has arisen for an unknown reason.
Symptoms of liver cirrhosis
In the standard course of cirrhosis, the liver passes through three main stages of its development, namely: compensated, decompensated and subcompensated, each of which has its own symptoms.
- 1) At the stage of compensation, the symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver are almost absent, since most cells remain in a normal state and perform their work. At the same time, until that is imperceptible for the patient, hepatic failure begins to form.
- 2) At a subcompensated stage the liver no longer fully copes with the tasks assigned to it. The patient has the first signs of the disease, such as pain in the right side, nausea and weakness. In the absence of treatment, the disease gradually passes into the stage of decompensation. In this period, acute liver failure develops, often complicated by ascites, jaundice, hemorrhagic diathesis, large swelling.
- 3) Decompensated liver cirrhosis is dangerous for human life, therefore such a patient needs urgent hospitalization and immediate treatment. In some cases, he may also need surgery.
First signs of liver cirrhosis
At the initial stage, cirrhosis manifests itself as weakness, subfebrile body temperature, weight loss and loss of appetite. There are also aching pains that are localized in the right hypochondrium.
As the disease progresses, the number of signs of cirrhosis increases. The patient has a bloating caused by an enlarged liver. There may be jaundice, which manifests itself in the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Also very often there are skin rashes, localized in different parts of the body. They cause the patient quite a strong itch and discomfort.
With cirrhosis, there are many signs from the gastrointestinal tract. The patient may notice that his urine has become too dark, and the feces, on the contrary, brightened.
In this case, there may appear, like constipation, and diarrhea, which often replace each other. They are joined by a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, belching.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of liver cirrhosis begins with the collection of a complete anamnesis of a person, providing information about the presence of any harmful habits.
After listening to the complaints of a person, the doctor, first of all, examines the patient for the presence of a rash, gemorrhagia, vascular asterisks, which may be an indirect sign of problems with the liver.
If there is a suspicion of cirrhosis of the liver, it is mandatory to take blood samples for a general blood test and biochemistry. These tests will show the presence of a pathological process inside the body.
Also, all patients are diagnosed with ultrasound for liver and spleen. Often appoint also computer tomography, angiography, radionuclide scanning. In special cases, a liver biopsy is possible. Most often it is done with suspicion of cancers in the liver tissues.
Treatment of liver cirrhosis
Treatment of cirrhosis of the liver includes, in the first place, drug therapy.
To date, patients with cirrhosis appoint a large range of drugs that can be divided into the following groups:
- hepatoprotectors
- pancreatic and prokinetic enzymes
- glucocorticoids
- diuretics
- antiviral medications
- adsorbents in combination with probiotics
- vitamins
Medical treatment is necessarily combined with a sparing diet, in particular, a cirrhotic patient with a recommended diet table number 5.
In some cases, a patient with cirrhosis requires surgery. So the patient can make a paracentesis, a procedure whose essence is to pierce the abdomen in order to remove the accumulated liquid.
The bypass procedure is also often performed, with the help of which new ways for blood flow are created. In the most difficult situations, the liver is transplanted from the donor.
Prognosis for cirrhosis
The prognosis for cirrhosis depends on many factors. First, it is of great importance at what stage the disease was detected. Secondly, an important role is played by how thoroughly a person adheres to the doctor's recommendations.
As long-term medical research shows, cirrhosis is an incurable disease. In most people, it proceeds in chronic form, when periods of exacerbation are replaced by long remissions. The prognosis depends on the person's age, social status, general health.
Factors that increase the risk of death from the disease are old age, the presence of varicose veins of the esophagus, belonging to the male sex, increasing prothrombin time,] the presence of hepatitis B.
The prognosis also worsens if the patient is diagnosed with jaundice, neurologic complications, bleeding, ascites, reduction in liver size, arterial hypotension.
Complications of
Cirrhosis is dangerous not only in itself, but also with multiple complications to which it can lead. One of the most serious complications is hepatic encephalopathy, which eventually can grow into a hepatic coma.
It develops as a result of damage to brain tissues by toxic products that are unable to neutralize the liver. When hepatic encephalopathy is observed confusion, neuromuscular disorders.
Given that cirrhosis significantly affects the flow of blood through the liver, it is possible the formation of dilated veins. As the disease progresses, they may begin to bleed. In such cases, a person has dark blood in the feces, weakness increases, vomiting may begin.
Often with cirrhosis of the patient, the infection is infected. This phenomenon is explained by greatly reduced immunity. Usually, such people are diagnosed with pneumonia, sepsis, infections of the genitourinary system.
In some cases, liver cirrhosis risks developing into a cancerous disease.
Prevention
Prevention of cirrhosis of the liver consists primarily in the timely detection of any liver disease, especially hepatitis. Especially this rule applies to hepatitis C, which in many cases is practically asymptomatic. That is why it is recommended to have at least once a year an examination with a doctor and take the necessary tests.
The correct diet is of great importance for the prevention of cirrhosis. Its food should be varied with natural food, prepared with the help of cooking or baking, but from foods with artificial substitutes, fried foods cooked using a lot of oil, it is worth noting.
Preventive measures for cirrhosis also include the rejection of such harmful habits as alcohol or smoking. Alcohol, especially if it is used often and in large doses, has a destructive effect on the liver.
That's why people who abuse it, cirrhosis diagnose at times more often than those who lead a healthy lifestyle.