Symptoms of liver cirrhosis usually appear in more advanced stages of the disease, when the liver is already more compromised, weakness, swelling, swelling of the legs, yellowish skin and eyes, appearance of vascular spiders and 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 through laboratory tests that mainly assess the function of the liver and imaging tests so that the organ is observed and the extent of cirrhosis is verified.
Liver cirrhosis is a chronic inflammation of the liver that can happen due to the excessive use of alcohol or medication, viral infections and genetic diseases such as hemochromatosis and Budd-Chiari syndrome. Learn about other causes of liver cirrhosis.
Symptoms of liver cirrhosis
People who are in the early stage of cirrhosis usually have no symptoms, but in slightly more advanced cases there may be several symptoms, such as:
- Weakness; Excessive tiredness; Lack of appetite; Nausea; Weight loss without apparent cause; Yellow skin and eyes; Itching throughout the body; Swollen abdomen; Vomiting with blood due to bleeding from the esophageal varices; Swelling of the legs; Kidney failure; Malnutrition, in advanced cases; Muscular atrophy; Flushing of the palms; Flexion of the fingers; Vascular spiders, which are spider veins under the skin; Enlargement of the breasts in men; Enlargement of the salivary glands located at the level of the cheeks; testicular atrophy; peripheral neuropathy, which is the disturbance of the junctions of the nervous system.
When any of these symptoms are noticed, it is important to consult the hepatologist or a general practitioner, as it may be cirrhosis, and treatment should be started quickly.
How the diagnosis is made
The diagnosis of liver cirrhosis is made by the general practitioner or hepatologist through the assessment of symptoms, habits of the person and laboratory tests that assess the function of the liver, kidneys and clotting capacity, in addition to serological tests to identify viral infections.
The main laboratory tests that the doctor requests to assess 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 dosage of gamma-GT, which is also an enzyme produced in the liver and which may have its concentration increased in case of liver problems. Get to know other tests that evaluate the liver.
In addition, to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may request the performance of imaging tests such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging in order to assess the liver and abdominal region, making it possible to identify injured regions and indicate the need for biopsy, for example. Liver biopsy is not done for the purpose of diagnosis, but to determine the severity, extent and cause of cirrhosis.
Risk factors
The development of liver cirrhosis is closely related to the person's life habits, with a greater risk of occurring in people who have a habit of consuming alcoholic beverages excessively, use drugs indiscriminately, that is, without medical advice, and have excess weight or are obese.
In addition, other factors that increase the risk of liver cirrhosis are genetic predisposition, that is, a close relative who has liver cirrhosis, older than 40 years, diabetes and hepatitis B and C, for example.
In the case of cirrhosis that occurs as a consequence of lifestyle, it is important to adopt habits that prevent the onset of the disease, such as the practice of physical activities, a healthy and balanced diet and the use of medications only under medical advice and guidance.
Cirrhosis treatment
The treatment for cirrhosis varies according to the cause, and can be done with the suspension of the medication or alcohol, for example. In addition, it is important to maintain an adequate diet that includes supplementation of vitamins, since due to impaired liver, the person may have difficulty digesting fats correctly. Find out how the cirrhosis diet is made.
It is important that liver cirrhosis is identified quickly and treatment is started soon so that complications and the need for liver transplantation can be avoided, for example, which is the treatment option indicated by the hepatologist in more severe cases when the liver does not work more as it should. Understand how the treatment for cirrhosis is done.
