What is cirrhosis?

Cirrhosis (say "suh-ROH-sus") is a very serious condition in which scarring damages the liver. The liver is a large organ that is part of the digestive system. It does a wide range of complex jobs that are vital for life.

When a person has cirrhosis, scar tissue (fibrosis) replaces healthy tissue. This scar tissue prevents the liver from working as it should. For example, the liver may stop producing enough clotting factors in the blood, which can lead to bleeding and bruising. Bile and poisons may build up in the blood. Liver damage may lead to yellowing of the skin (jaundice). The scarring can cause high blood pressure in the vein that carries blood from the intestines through the liver. This high blood pressure is called portal hypertension. It can lead to severe bleeding in the digestive tract and other serious problems, such as fluid buildup in the belly.

You may not have symptoms in the early stages of cirrhosis. But as it gets worse, it can cause a number of symptoms. These include:

• Fatigue.
• Small red spots and tiny lines on the skin, called spider angiomas.
• Bleeding problems, such as bruising easily or heavy nosebleeds.
• Weight loss.
• Yellowing of the skin (jaundice).
• Itching.
• Swelling from fluid buildup in the legs (edema) and the belly (ascites).
• Bleeding from enlarged veins in the digestive tract.
• Confusion.

Scar tissue from cirrhosis may block the proper flow of blood from the intestines through the liver. The scarring can lead to increased pressure in the veins that supply this area. This is called portal hypertension. It can lead to other health complications.

The doctor will examine you and ask questions about your symptoms and past health. If the doctor thinks that you might have cirrhosis, you may have blood tests and imaging tests, such as an ultrasound or a CT scan. These tests can help your doctor find out what is causing the liver damage and how severe it is. Blood tests can check for inflammation in the liver and show how well your liver is working.

To confirm that you have cirrhosis, the doctor may do a liver biopsy. A needle is used to take a sample of liver tissue for testing.

Treatment may include medicines, surgery, and lifestyle changes. This depends on the cause of your cirrhosis and what other problems it is causing. Treatment can't cure cirrhosis. But it can sometimes prevent or delay more liver damage.

To help limit the damage to your liver and control symptoms:

• Do not drink any alcohol. If you don't stop completely, liver damage may quickly get worse.
• Talk to your doctor before you take any prescription or over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, supplements, or herbs. Medicines that can hurt your liver include acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) and other pain medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin), and naproxen (Aleve).
• Make sure that your vaccines are up-to-date. You are at a higher risk for infections.
• Follow a low-sodium and low-fat diet. Cutting back on sodium can help prevent fluid buildup.

A liver transplant may be an option for severe cirrhosis.

Lifestyle changes may reduce symptoms caused by complications of cirrhosis. These changes may also help to slow new liver damage.

Stop drinking alcohol completely.

Doing this is important, even if alcohol wasn't the cause of your cirrhosis. If you don't stop, liver damage may quickly get worse.

Talk to your doctor about changing your diet.

If your body is retaining fluid, you will need to limit sodium.

Your doctor may also talk to you about diet changes. Certain foods may make symptoms worse.

Avoid harmful medicines.

Some medicines should be used carefully or not taken at all if you have cirrhosis. For example, acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can speed up liver damage. Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the risk of variceal bleeding if you have enlarged veins (varices) in the digestive tract. NSAIDs include ibuprofen (such as Motrin or Advil) and naproxen (Aleve).