Can Cirrhosis Be Cured?
May 19, 2021 | Farah Jassawalla

Can Cirrhosis Be Cured?

Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease. It is the malfunctioning of hepatic cells where they fail to regenerate.

Under normal conditions, every time the liver suffers damage due to any disease, injury or alcohol consumption, it repairs itself. However, in cirrhosis, there’s fibrotic regeneration in which the scar tissue replaces the healthy normal hepatic tissue and blocks the flow of blood through the organ.

Symptoms of Cirrhosis

Symptoms of cirrhosis include:

      Paleness

      Loss of appetite

      Fatigue

      Weakness

      Bruising and bleeding

      Peripheral edema

      Fluid in the abdominal cavity

      Yellowish colored urine

      Hematological disorders

      Anorexia

      Dyspepsia

      Enlargement of the breast in males

      Amenorrhea

      Change in bowel movements

      Splenomegaly

      Anemia

      Hepatic encephalopathy

      Purpura

      Thrombocytopenia

      Hematemesis

      Abdominal pain

      Fetor hepaticus (musty smelling breath)

      Loss of libido

      Skin hemorrhage

      Hypogonadism (the body is unable to produce sexual hormones)

      Caput medusae (enlarged epigastric vein)

Causes of Liver Cirrhosis

Here’s a list of the causes of liver cirrhosis:

      Alcohol consumption

      Hepatitis B and C

      Glycogen storage disease

      Alagille syndrome (born with lesser number of bile ducts)

      Autoimmune hepatitis

      Cystic fibrosis

      Alpha -1 antitrypsin deficiency (build-up of abnormal protein in the liver)

      Hemochromatosis (increased concentration of iron in the liver)

      Fatty liver due to obesity

      Wilson disease (increased concentration of copper in the liver)

      Cardiac cirrhosis

      Parasitic infection

      Primary biliary cholangitis ( bile ducts are injured, and then they are permanently damaged)

      Blocked bile ducts

      Biliary atresia (born with blocked bile ducts)

      Amyloidosis (accumulation of amyloid protein in the liver which disturbs the normal function of the liver)

      Jaundice

      Gallstones

      Toxins in blood and brain

      Bruises and bleeding

      Portal hypertension

Stages of Cirrhosis

There are four stages of cirrhosis.

Stage 1

In stage 1, there is no enlargement of veins and no abnormal build-up of fluid in the abdomen. The death rate is 1% per year.

Stage 2

There is an enlargement of veins but no fluid in the abdominal cavity, and the death rate is 3% per year.

Stage 3

In this stage, fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity and advanced liver scarring occurs. The death rate is 20% per year.

Stage 4

In the last stage of cirrhosis, there’s abdominal bleeding which warrants a transplant. The death rate is 57% per year.

Management and Treatment of Cirrhosis

There is no cure for cirrhosis. The liver is permanently damaged, but depending on the causes of cirrhosis, you can make certain lifestyle modifications. A person suffering from liver cirrhosis should:

      Stop alcohol consumption.

      Immediately start medication as prescribed by the doctor.

      Maintain a healthy low-fat diet.

      Exercise.

Goals for Cirrhosis treatment

The main goal is to prevent further liver damage, treat signs and symptoms, and treat the underlying cause of cirrhosis.

Treating the underlying cause of cirrhosis slows down its progression. Some examples include:

      Cirrhosis caused by alcohol consumption is treated by refraining from alcohol.

      When patients suffer from hepatitis, they immediately start taking medication for it, such as interferon and corticosteroids.

      In Wilson’s disease, the patient is prescribed medications to remove copper from the body.

You can book your appointment with Shifa4U to get the right medical treatment and medications.

When the liver is fully damaged; and complications can’t be slowed or controlled, liver transplants become essential. The damaged liver is replaced with a new healthy liver from a donor. In most cases, the patient survives the transplant.

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Farah Jassawalla

Farah Jassawalla is a graduate of the Lahore School of Economics. She is also a writer, and healthcare enthusiast, having closely observed case studies while working with Lahore's thriving general physicians at their clinics.