Symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver usually appear in later stages of the disease, when the liver is already more compromised, weakness, swelling, swelling of the legs, yellowing skin and eyes, the appearance of spider veins and a swollen abdomen may be noticed. .
It is important that this disease is diagnosed as soon as symptoms appear, so that there are no complications, the diagnosis is made by laboratory tests that primarily evaluate liver function and imaging tests so that the organ is observed and the extent of cirrhosis is checked.
- Liver cirrhosis is a chronic inflammation of the liver that can occur due to excessive consumption of alcohol or medications.
- Viral infections.
- And genetic diseases such as hemochromatosis and Budd-Chiari syndrome.
- Learn about the other causes of cirrhosis of the liver.
People with early-stage cirrhosis usually have no symptoms, but in slightly more advanced cases, there may be several symptoms, such as:
When any of these symptoms are noticeable, it is important to consult your hepatologist or family doctor, as it may be cirrhosis, and treatment should be started quickly.
Diagnosis of liver cirrhosis is made by your family doctor or hepatologist by evaluating symptoms, person habits, and laboratory tests that evaluate liver, kidney and clotting function, as well as serological tests to identify viral infections.
The main laboratory tests the doctor requests to evaluate the liver are the measurement of liver enzymes TGO and TGP, which are elevated in the blood when the liver has lesions, in addition, the doctor usually requests the dose of gamma-GT, which is also an enzyme produced in the liver and whose concentration can be increased in case of liver problems. Learn about other tests that evaluate your liver.
Also, to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may order imaging tests such as CT scans or MRI to evaluate the liver and abdominal area, identifying injured areas and indicating the need for a biopsy, for example. diagnostic purposes, but to determine the severity, extent, and cause of cirrhosis.
The development of liver cirrhosis is closely related to a person’s lifestyle habits, with an increased risk of occurring in people who are accustomed to excessively alcoholic beverages, use drugs indiscriminately, that is, without medical advice, and by weight or obesity.
In addition, other factors that increase the risk of liver cirrhosis include genetic predisposition, i. e. a close family member with liver cirrhosis, over 40, diabetes and hepatitis B and C, for example.
In the case of lifestyle cirrhosis, it is important to adopt habits that prevent the onset of the disease, such as physical activity, a healthy and balanced diet and the use of medications only under medical advice and advice.
Treatment of cirrhosis varies by cause, and may be done with discontinuation of medications or alcohol, for example, it is also important to maintain an adequate diet that includes vitamin supplements, since due to liver failure the person may have difficulty digesting fat correctly. Find out how the cirrhosis diet develops.
It is important that cirrhosis of the liver is quickly identified and that treatment is started quickly to avoid complications and the need for a liver transplant, for example, treatment option indicated by the hepatologist in the most severe cases when the liver is not functioning properly. cirrhosis is treated.