Top 10 Symptoms of Cirrhosis!

The Main Symptoms of Cirrhosis which is an alert that your health is not going well. Cirrhosis is the outcome of liver lesions that heal, causing the organ to lose its function and walk towards complete failure. It is the result of inflammation and chronic aggression such as the attack of viruses ( hepatitis A, B, C..) or abuse of alcoholic beverages.

The liver tissue becomes, over time, all fibrous and stops performing essential tasks for the body, such as processing nutrients and medicines, manufacturing proteins and producing bile, which acts in digestion.

Many people who have mild cirrhosis have no symptoms and feel healthy for many years. About a third of people never develop symptoms. Others manifest weakness and fatigue, lack of appetite and weight loss .

Fingertips may increase in size (called clubbing). If the flow of bile is chronically blocked, people develop jaundice (see Jaundice in Adults), generalized itching, and small yellow bumps on the skin (nodules), especially around the eyelids.

As the damaged liver cannot produce enough bile salts, the absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) is compromised. As a result, people may feel weak, have fatty, foul-smelling stools (steatorrhea), and lack of appetite . Malnutrition and weight loss are commonly the result of impaired absorption of fats and vitamins and loss of appetite. So, check out  Top 10 Symptoms of Cirrhosis.

Risk factors:

• Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages;
• Overweight and obesity ;
• Hepatitis (especially types B and C);
• Genetic predisposition;
• Age over 40 years;
• Use (or abuse) of medication;
• Diabetes;

People with cirrhosis may have other symptoms due to severe liver failure or alcoholism:

• Muscle wasting (atrophy)
• The palms of the hands become red (palmar erythema);
• The tendons in the hand shrink, causing the fingers to bend (Dupuytren’s contracture);
• Spider-shaped blood vessels appear in the skin;
• Enlarged salivary glands in the cheeks;
• Nerves outside the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves) do not function properly (causing neuropathy).

Men have enlarged breasts (gynecomastia) and shrunken testes (testicular atrophy), because the damaged liver cannot break down estrogens. The amount of hair in the armpits decreases.

• The Spleen increases;
• Accumulation of fluid inside the abdomen (ascites)
• The liver usually shrinks but sometimes enlarges;

Prevention:  The best way to prevent liver cirrhosis is to adopt a healthier lifestyle, avoiding excessive alcohol, high-calorie diet and self-medication. Another protective factor is to protect yourself from hepatitis viruses, especially type B for which there is a vaccine.

The use of condoms during sexual intercourse also protects the body against the viral agent. The treatment of chronic hepatitis, such as type C, is crucial to prevent the liver from going into cirrhosis and, with it, losing its function.