What Is Liver Cirrhosis?
Liver cirrhosis is a condition, where the liver tissues gradually are replaced by scars. The healthy tissue of the liver will be became unhealthy due to the appearance of scars and can affect the normal functions of the liver. Cirrhosis develops slowly over a period of time building up scars which affects the flow of blood through the liver.
What Are The Symptoms Of Liver Cirrhosis?
At the early stage of cirrhosis many don’t feel any symptoms, but as the scar tissue accumulates and replaces the healthy tissue the person may start noticing symptoms such as:
Appearance of small, red blood vessels on the upper trunk and palms of the hands. But if the disease is not treated or manage with healthy diet the symptoms will progress to a more complicated ones such as:
Dark coloured urine:
How To Prevent Cirrhosis?
Can Someone Survive Chirrosis?
It depends on the stage, duration and causes of cirrhosis. If the disease is diagnose on time at the early stage can be treated and manage and the liver can continue functioning effectively. But they must be very caution of the health of the liver by avoiding alcohol, maintaining suitable weight. Stay on healthy diet (avoid saturated fats, sugar and salt) although research has been confirmed that liver cirrhosis can’t be cure but can be managed through dieting and changing in life style. Like limiting or avoiding alcohol maintaining an ideal moderate weight and preventing infection.
Dietary Management Of Liver Cirrhosis:
Note: Coffee is known to lowers the risk of liver disease including fibrosis and cirrhosis and other liver disease, coffee can slow the progress of liver disease in some people. Coffees that are ground, instant and decaffeinated is known to have hepatic protective. The properties found in coffee includes:
Liver cirrhosis is a condition, where the liver tissues gradually are replaced by scars. The healthy tissue of the liver will be became unhealthy due to the appearance of scars and can affect the normal functions of the liver. Cirrhosis develops slowly over a period of time building up scars which affects the flow of blood through the liver.
What Are The Symptoms Of Liver Cirrhosis?
At the early stage of cirrhosis many don’t feel any symptoms, but as the scar tissue accumulates and replaces the healthy tissue the person may start noticing symptoms such as:
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Loss of muscle mass and weight loss
Appearance of small, red blood vessels on the upper trunk and palms of the hands. But if the disease is not treated or manage with healthy diet the symptoms will progress to a more complicated ones such as:
- Swelling in the legs and abdomen (building up of fluids).
- Confusion
- Embed spleen
- Internal bleeding
- Low sex drive jaundice (yellowish coloured eye and skin).
- Infections
- portal hypertension.
- Esophageal varices
- Hepatic encephalopathy
Cirrhosis can be compensated or decompensated:
the compensated liver cirrhosis, mean the liver is still functioning effectively even with the scars. In a case like this most of the patients don’t feel or notice any signs and symptoms of cirrhosis. In other words the decompensated cirrhosis, liver can’t carry on its functions effectively and the signs and symptoms are easily tonicity
What Are The Causes Of Liver Cirrhosis?
What Are Other Conditions That Can Cause Liver Cirrhosis?
What Are The Complications Of Liver Cirrhosis?
What Other Organs Can Be Affected By Cirrhosis
What Are The Causes Of Liver Cirrhosis?
- Hepatitis: viral infection of the liver which may be hepatitis A,B or C.
- Excess consumption of alcohol for a long period of time.
- Fatty liver caused by other means (non-alcohol- related steatosis).
- Genetic diseases.
- Too much toxins exposed to the liver.
- People who consume up to 30-50 grams of alcohol every day for at least 3 to 5 years have a risk of alcohol related disease.
What Are Other Conditions That Can Cause Liver Cirrhosis?
- Cystic fibrosis.
- Galactosemia: inability to process milk sugar which are remains and left in the blood stream.
- Cancer of the bile ducts or pancreas which leads to bile ducts or pancreas which leads to bile ducts blockage.
- Blood clot in the hepatic vein, which leads to liver enlargement.
- Accumulation of excess iron in the liver (hemochromatosis).
- Problem in storing and releasing the energy released which vital for cell function (glycogen storage disease).
- Parasitic disease such as schistosomiasis.
- Hardening and scarring of the bile ducts ( primary sclerosing cholangitis).
What Are The Complications Of Liver Cirrhosis?
- Liver cirrhosis can lead to several other conditions which can be life threating. These medical complications includes:-
- Ascites or edema: the fluid will be builds up in the abdomen (ascites) while edema is accumulations of fluids in legs. (in severe cases specialist drain out the fluids)
- Coagulation disorders: cirrhosis may leads to problem of blood clotting leading to bleeding which can be fatal.
- Hepatocellular carcinoma: it is a common cancer of the liver resulting from cirrhosis. The cancer is due to untreated hepatitis B or C infection (research from 2013)
- Hepatic encephalopathy: excess toxins in the blood where the liver cannot remain or filter them accumulated in the brain if not treated could be fatal.
- Portal hypertension: swollen large veins develops in the exhaust and stomach. Putting pressure on a blood vessels called portal vein, it carries blood from the spleen and bowel to the liver. This is refer to portal hypertension. The varies may break open (rupture) causing bleeding and clots in the abdomen.
- Hepatopulmonary syndrome: is also a life threatening condition. The condition is a combination of liver disease, dilated blood vessels in the lungs and having problem in gas exchange in the lungs.
What Other Organs Can Be Affected By Cirrhosis
- Kidneys
- Skins
- Nails
- Lungs
- Cardiovascular system (heart and blood )
- Gastrointestinal system (GIT)
How To Prevent Cirrhosis?
- Reduce alcohol or keep with the guide lines for alcohol consumption.
- Go for healthy diet to maintain healthy liver (fruits and vegetables).
- Increase level of physical activities by exercising to buns out toxins and fats to prevent obesity.
- Take vaccinations for hepatitis.
- Avoid alcohol completely at any stage and type of liver diseases.
- Don’t share needles and be extra careful when taking care of a victim.
- Avoid unprotected sex to lower the risk of hepatitis.
- Increase level of personal hygiene.
Can Someone Survive Chirrosis?
It depends on the stage, duration and causes of cirrhosis. If the disease is diagnose on time at the early stage can be treated and manage and the liver can continue functioning effectively. But they must be very caution of the health of the liver by avoiding alcohol, maintaining suitable weight. Stay on healthy diet (avoid saturated fats, sugar and salt) although research has been confirmed that liver cirrhosis can’t be cure but can be managed through dieting and changing in life style. Like limiting or avoiding alcohol maintaining an ideal moderate weight and preventing infection.
Dietary Management Of Liver Cirrhosis:
- Eat plenty of nutrient- dense foods. Focus on including plant based protein sources in the diet instead meat.
- The protein intake is 1.2gms to 1.5gms per kilo grams body weight for example if the weigh 60k = 60x1.2 or 60x1.5 = it is more for patient with compacted cirrhosis.
- Take vitamin B supplements.
- Choose fresh fruit and vegetable low in sugar and salt.
- Avoid the canned varieties of fruit and vegetable; they are high in sodium and sugar.
- Calories is recommended at 35 to 40 local/kg/day. Example patient weighing 60kg will need 60 x 35 to 40/per.
- Don’t eat foods high in fat (saturated, transfer and hydrogenated fat).
- Avoid fried foods, they are too hard to digest so therefore hard for liver.
Note: Coffee is known to lowers the risk of liver disease including fibrosis and cirrhosis and other liver disease, coffee can slow the progress of liver disease in some people. Coffees that are ground, instant and decaffeinated is known to have hepatic protective. The properties found in coffee includes:
- Chromogenic acid.
- Kahweol.
- Catechol.
- In conclusion foods to avoids in liver cirrhosis includes.
- Alcohol.
- Sugar: add sugar such as candy 🍬, cookie 🍪.
- Salt: avoid table salt.
- Saturated, transfer and hydrogenated fat.
- Highly processed foods (Canned foods, packaged snack).
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