Cirrhosis is a severe liver disease which includes serious scarring of the liver, inflammation and also includes very poor functioning of the liver. The structure of the liver is changed due to inflammation of the liver. 

Symptoms of Cirrhosis:

  • Tiredness in the patient
  • The patient becomes very weak
  • Skin of the patient becomes very itchy
  • Patient’s skin becomes yellowish in colour
  • The symptoms also include swelling in the lower leg
  • Fluid build-up in the abdomen
  • Other symptoms include impotency, excessive bleeding, coma and even death

Causes of Cirrhosis:

The common cause of Cirrhosis is the long-term intake of alcohol. The amount of excessive alcohol differs from person to person. Obesity is also one of the main cause of Cirrhosis. Diseases like hepatitis B, hepatitis C can also cause Cirrhosis. Hepatitis B causes liver inflammation which may lead to cirrhosis in the later stages. 

Other causes such as liver injury, severe high dose medications including some heavy antibiotics which can cause cirrhosis, liver failure, liver congestions. Other causes include damage to the bile ducts. 

Diagnosis:

The diagnosis of the cirrhosis includes studying case history (if any) and physical examination. Doctors study the complete medical history of the patient suffering from cirrhosis as it may have some previous symptoms of liver damage due to alcohol or hepatitis types. Physical examination includes observing the skin colour of the patient, urine test, visibly enlarged liver, redness in palms. Some further test includes blood count, liver function tests, liver cancer tests, endoscopy, ultrasound test of the liver, MRI scan, CT scan and liver biopsy.

Treatment:

Treatment depends on the basis of diagnosis done. Patient suffering from cirrhosis should stop drinking as the amount of alcohol is toxic to the body. The weight is suggested to be in control also the sugar levels should be checked regularly. Avoid high power antibiotics. Include low sodium in the diet to reduce the formation of fluid in the abdomen. In some cases, treatment includes Liver transplantation when all the other treatment fails.