Signs of bleeding can be detected via an endoscopy. If the patient vomits blood or passes bloody stools, they probably have esophageal varices. Urgent medical attention is required.
The following procedures may help:. Banding: A small band is placed around the base of the varices to control bleeding. Injection sclerotherapy: After an endoscopy, a substance is injected into the varices, which triggers a blood clot and scar tissue to form. This helps stem the bleeding. A Sengstaken-Blakemore tube with a balloon: A balloon is placed at the end of the tube.
The balloon is inflated. This places pressure on the varices and stops the bleeding. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt TIPSS : If the therapies mentioned above do not stem the bleeding, a metal tube is passed across the liver to join the portal and hepatic veins, creating a new route for the blood to flow through.
This reduces the pressure that was causing the varices. Infections: The patient will be given antibiotics for any infections that arise. Screening for liver cancer: Patients with cirrhosis have a much higher risk of developing liver cancer.
The doctor may recommend regular blood tests and imaging scans. Hepatic encephalopathy, or high blood toxin levels: Drugs can help treat excessive blood toxin levels.
In some cases, the damage caused by cirrhosis covers most of the liver and cannot be reversed. In these cases, the person may need a new, transplanted liver. It can take time to find a suitable donor, and this procedure is often advised only as a last resort. A year follow-up study of people in Norway with severe alcoholic cirrhosis showed that 71 percent of the people in the study had died within 5 years of diagnosis.
The mortality rate 15 years after diagnosis was 90 percent. Continued alcohol consumption and advanced age were linked to a higher mortality rate in people with cirrhosis. This is a limited study, but it shows that cirrhosis is a serious condition that severely reduces life expectancy and impairs quality of living. Cirrhosis is responsible for 12 deaths in every , members of the United States population. Cirrhosis is graded on a scale called the Childs-Pugh score as follows:.
Doctors also classify cirrhosis as either compensated or decompensated. Compensated cirrhosis means that the liver can function normally despite the damage.
A liver with decompensated cirrhosis cannot perform its functions correctly and usually causes severe symptoms. Rather than being viewed in terms of its own stages, cirrhosis is often seen as a final stage of liver disease. Hepatitis B and C together are said to be the leading causes of cirrhosis. Other causes include:. Toxins, including alcohol, are broken down by the liver.
However, if the amount of alcohol is too high, the liver will be overworked, and liver cells can eventually become damaged. Heavy, regular, long-term drinkers are much more likely to develop cirrhosis, compared with other, healthy people.
Hepatitis B can also cause cirrhosis. With either of these conditions, you increase your risk of developing cirrhosis if you drink alcohol.
It now affects about 20 per cent of Australians. It is becoming more common in children who are overweight or obese. NAFLD can lead to inflammation of the liver and the formation of scar tissue, a condition called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis NASH , which can then lead to cirrhosis of the liver. NASH usually occurs in people who are obese, have diabetes or have high blood cholesterol and triglycerides, so controlling these conditions is recommended.
The effect of alcohol is debated, but it is probably not recommended if there is significant liver scarring present. Some inherited conditions damage the liver and this leads to the scarring that can contribute to cirrhosis.
These conditions include:. Without medical treatment, cirrhosis of the liver can lead to a range of potentially life-threatening complications including:. Cirrhosis of the liver is incurable but, in some cases, treatment can help to reduce the likelihood that the condition will become worse. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The type of pain felt in the abdomen can vary greatly. Children may feel stomach pain for a range of reasons and may need treatment. While the relationship between alcohol consumption and obesity remains unclear, there are good reasons to think that alcohol may play a role.
Around half of cases of anal fissures heal by themselves with proper self-care and avoidance of constipation. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.
The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.
The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Cirrhosis of the liver.
Actions for this page Listen Print. The symptoms of cirrhosis may look like other health problems. Always see your healthcare provider to be sure. Cirrhosis is a progressive liver disease that happens over time. The damage to your liver can sometimes reverse or improve if the trigger is gone, such as stop drinking alcohol or if the virus is treated.
The goal of treatment is to slow down the buildup of scar tissue and prevent or treat other health problems. In many cases, you may be able to delay or stop any more liver damage. If you have hepatitis, it may be treated to delay worsening of your liver disease. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, or vitamins. A liver transplant may be needed. Other treatments may be specific to your cause of cirrhosis, such as controlling excessive iron or copper levels, or using immune suppressing medicines.
Be sure to ask your healthcare provider about recommended vaccines. These include vaccines for viruses that can cause liver disease. Health Home Conditions and Diseases. Cirrhosis is a long-term chronic liver disease. The damage to your liver builds up over time. The liver does many important things including: Removes waste from the body, such as toxins and medicines Makes bile to help digest food Stores sugar that the body uses for energy Makes new proteins When you have cirrhosis, scar tissue slows the flow of blood through the liver.
What causes cirrhosis? These may include: Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency High blood galactose levels Glycogen storage diseases Cystic fibrosis Porphyria a disorder in which certain chemicals build up in the blood Hereditary buildup of too much copper Wilson disease or iron hemochromatosis in the body What are the symptoms of cirrhosis?
Symptoms may include: Fluid buildup in the belly ascites Vomiting blood, often from bleeding in the blood vessels in the food pipe esophagus Gallstones Itching Yellowing of the skin and eyes jaundice Kidney failure Muscle loss Loss of appetite Easy bruising Spider-like veins in the skin Low energy and weakness fatigue Weight loss Confusion as toxins build up in the blood The symptoms of cirrhosis may look like other health problems.
How is cirrhosis diagnosed? Your healthcare provider will look at your past health. He or she will give you a physical exam. You may also have tests including: Blood tests. These will include liver function tests to see if the liver is working the way it should. You may also have tests to see if your blood is able to clot.
Liver biopsy. Small tissue samples are taken from the liver with a needle or during surgery. The samples are checked under a microscope to find out the type of liver disease. Your healthcare provider may want you to have imaging tests including: CT scan computed tomography. This is an imaging test that uses X-rays and a computer to make detailed images of the body.
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