Common signs and symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver

Common symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver often differentiate by gender, so both women and men the internal and external signs of cirrhosis are somewhat different.

When there is cirrhosis, symptoms of liver affected by this disease are often confused with symptoms of other diseases. Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease that causes development of irreversible changes at the cellular level.

Many people believe that cirrhosis occurs only in those who have alcohol dependence. But it is not. Signs of cirrhosis of the liver can suddenly appear and those who did not drink alcohol. The question of how to diagnose cirrhosis of the liver, of interest to many.

First of all, you should know the main symptoms, as it is very important to detect the disease at early stages.

Causes of cirrhosis

The symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver can develop when:

• hepatitis of any type (especially hepatitis C);
• intoxication with chemical substances and improper use of drugs;
• diseases of the biliary tract;
• bad heredity;
• violation of metabolic processes.

Common signs and symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver

The symptoms of cirrhosis of liver in women:

• menstrual irregularities and other female diseases;
• reducing the amount of hair on the body;
• itching.

The main symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver in men:

• the increase in breast glands;
• the emergence of female sexual characteristics;
• reducing the amount of hair on the body;
• sexual weakness and impotence development;
• itching.

How to identify liver cirrhosis? First and foremost, it should be concerned and check the liver, if you notice that you have:

• appeared erythema (skin on hands I started to blush);
• became noticeable fine network of vessels under the skin;
• change the color and shape of the nail plate;
• you strongly and rapidly lost weight;
• yellowed skin;
• there were numerous bruises on the body;
• the skin on the body become dry and a feeling of tightness;
• increased terminal phalanges of the fingers (his fingers were like drum sticks);
• increased in size the stomach.

Language in patients with cirrhosis is becoming an unusual color – it becomes bright crimson. The surface of the tongue when cirrhosis becomes smooth, like varnished leather. The urine of a patient with cirrhosis gets a dark tint, and feces, it becomes bright. In most patients, begins a rapid development of varicose veins of the esophagus and stomach. Some pains in the liver, appears thrombophlebitis and hemorrhoids. The color of stool cirrhosis becomes lighter (like the color of the clay). Blood counts cirrhosis: a decrease in hemoglobin level, and when the active phase of the disease increases the level of leukocytes.

Many people are interested in, feel liver cirrhosis. The liver itself has no pain receptors. If a person feels that it hurts the liver, so it can be increased or occur unwanted processes in her shell.The temperature in liver cirrhosis is increased often only at the early stages.

But the signs and symptoms of cirrhosis, which are not visible to others:

• dryness in the mouth;
• a feeling of bitterness in the mouth;
• belching;
• nausea;
• frequent heartburn;
• vomiting (often with blood);
• intolerable itching of the whole body;
• atrophy of muscle tissue;
• frequent nosebleeds;
• bleeding gums;
• pain in the abdomen;
• high blood pressure;
• increased body temperature;
• General weakness in the body.

Observed, and such manifestations:

• flatulence;
• the feeling of heaviness and discomfort in the abdomen (especially under the ribs on the right);
• frequent diarrhea and constipation;
• intolerance to usual food (especially fat);
• a pathological increase in size of liver and spleen;
• fever (rarely).
• violation of water-salt metabolism in the body (gipergidratace);
• frequent swelling of the feet and face;
• duodenal ulcer and stomach, gastritis, gastroduodenitis;
• decreased sex drive;
• intolerance to loud sounds, sharp and strong odors, bright lights.
• the development of anemia.

Internal signs of the disease

Now let’s talk about how to manifest cirrhosis of the liver through the mental state of the sick person and the condition of the nervous system as a whole. Cirrhosis developing hepatic encephalopathy. The speed of thinking slows down memory. Mood during the day varies. The patient is too irritable, Moody. Disturbed night sleep and there is drowsiness during the day. Often have nightmares. Sometimes there is a serious mental illness such as psychosis.

More patients can be observed full or partial agraphia (impaired writing), and tremor. Not necessarily a manifestation of all symptoms at once. Diagnosis is sometimes enough, and 2-3 characteristic features.

If you notice yourself (or loved ones) some of the above symptoms, immediately consult a doctor.

Remember that procrastination can lead to disastrous consequences. If the disease is not treated soon, may occur with hepatic coma or poor kidney function.

Correctly identify the symptoms and treatment of cirrhosis can only be a doctor.

Cirrhosis is cancer?

Many people mistakenly believe that cirrhosis of the liver is cancer. In fact the only thing in common for these diseases consequence – death. They also have similar causes and manifestations, but in General it’s 2 different diseases. Liver cirrhosis is a very serious disease, which is accompanied by irreversible replacement of liver tissue (parenchyma) of scar or connective. The resulting nodes interfere with normal stable operation of the liver, because it compress the liver tissue, blood vessels and bile ducts.

With the further growth of connective tissue, the liver ceases to produce and accumulate proteins, fats, carbohydrates and hormones and no longer performs its main function neutralization of toxins; food not digested and not absorbed efficiently as a healthy person.

Various complications can occur when the patient moves decompensated liver cirrhosis is liver cancer, bleeding from esophageal veins, appearance of infection, the development of peritonitis. In this period, the liver parenchyma is almost completely replaced with fibrous tissue. The liver loses all its ability.

Quite often, the primary cancer occurs in the background is cirrhosis of the liver. Patients with cirrhosis of the liver, triggered by chronic hepatitis b or C, excessive alcohol consumption or excessive accumulation of iron in the body, all more at risk of developing liver cancer. In the early stages of cancer is recognized it is difficult, therefore it is often mistaken for the symptoms of progression of cirrhosis. Thus, the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen (ascites) in a patient with cirrhosis can be regarded as a complication of the primary disease or symptom of liver cancer.

Thus, under the misconception that cirrhosis of the liver is cancer, can enter causes of disease and similar symptoms. This pathology is characterized by a change in structure, appearance of the liver, as well as the formation of many scars, due to which this body gradually loses the ability to perform their natural functions necessary for normal human life. It is considered that cirrhosis is the final stage of occurrence of many diseases: various types of thrombosis, hepatitis, cholecystitis, etc.

In developed countries, cirrhosis relates to a specific group of diseases consisting of 6 pathologies – major cause of death of people aged 37 to 60 years. There’s death by reason of irreversible changes in the structure of the liver is 15-30 cases per 100 thousand people. Moreover, over the past 10 years, experts note an increase in the incidence of liver cirrhosis by 12%.

As a rule, cirrhosis occurs after 10-15 years after the start of the regular alcohol consumption that involves the intake of alcoholic beverages more than 20 g per day for women and 60g per day for men. It is important to know that if you suspect alcoholic cirrhosis, the symptoms of this disease may be completely absent. So fans of alcoholic beverages are advised to undergo regular screening, monitoring the condition of the liver