Liver
Cirrhosis
Years of liver injury replace healthy tissue with scar. Common causes are alcohol, fatty liver and hepatitis B or C.
Common symptoms
- Swelling of the belly or legs
- Vomiting blood or black stools
- Confusion or excessive sleepiness
- Easy bruising
Causes and risk factors
- Alcohol over many years
- Fatty liver that has progressed
- Hepatitis B or C
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Rarer genetic and bile duct diseases
How it is diagnosed
Blood tests, an ultrasound and a liver stiffness test assess the liver. An endoscopy checks for enlarged veins (varices) in the food pipe, and an ultrasound every 6 months screens for liver cancer.
Treatment
Treating the cause, screening for liver cancer every 6 months, and endoscopy to find and band enlarged veins (varices) before they bleed.
Procedures that may help
Diet guide: Cirrhosis
Eat more
- Enough protein: dal, paneer, curd, eggs, fish or chicken
- Small meals every 3 to 4 hours
- A bedtime snack, such as milk with a roti or poha
- Fresh home-cooked food
Cut down
- Added salt, papad, pickles, namkeen and packaged foods, if you have swelling
- Alcohol, completely
- Raw or undercooked meat and seafood
Good to know
- Do not cut protein unless your doctor tells you to
- The bedtime snack helps protect muscle
- Follow your doctor's advice on fluids if you have swelling
When to see a gastroenterologist
Anyone with cirrhosis needs regular specialist follow-up. Vomiting blood or confusion is an emergency.
Common questions
Can cirrhosis be reversed?
Scarring usually does not fully go away, but treating the cause can stop it getting worse and sometimes improves it. In advanced cases, a liver transplant may be discussed.
Should I eat less protein?
No, unless your doctor advises it. Most people with cirrhosis need enough protein and a bedtime snack to protect their muscles.