General Medical Advices

Archive for the ‘Liver Disease’ Category

At present there is no cure for liver cirrhosis established, although you should always try to eliminate the cause. Therefore, emphasis must be to try and alleviate the complications of the disease.

It has the following treatment options:

- Drugs that increase urine production (diuretics) to treat fluid retention in the legs (edema) or abdomen (ascites)

- Vitamin and mineral supplements

- Calorie supplements (usually sweetened drinks) to maintain good nutrition Read the rest of this entry »

Possible Complications

Impotence in men due to the combined effect of alcohol and cirrhosis itself.

Severe internal bleeding from ruptured varicose veins in the esophagus or stomach. It is a serious complication that required hospital treatment.

Liver cancer. Developed in some patients with advanced cirrhosis. The risk is higher in patients with hemochromatosis or chronic infection by hepatitis viruses B or C.

Infection of the fluid in the abdomen (ascites), which causes peritonitis and secondarily generalized infection (sepsis) for entry of germs or toxins in the blood. Read the rest of this entry »

Good advice

If excessive drinking and alcohol dependence are the cause of liver disease you should stop drinking immediately and completely. Once alcohol has damaged the liver, liver cells are vulnerable to even small amounts of alcohol.

Seek help from friends and family, and any organizations that specialize in helping people with alcohol problems. Your doctor can help.

Activity

Try to lead an active life. This can be difficult because of tiredness and feeling weak, but it pays to persevere in it. If you develop swelling of the legs may be desirable to keep it elevated while you rest. Read the rest of this entry »

Who do you give the greatest risks?

The risk is proportional to the consumption of alcohol. The more a person drinks, the more likely it is to develop cirrhosis. Women seem more susceptible than men. Therefore, it is advisable to reduce the consumption of alcohol to drink 28 units per week in men and 21 for women. One unit of drink is a normal consumption of any alcoholic beverage, 250 ml of beer (the “cane” has 200 ml), a glass of wine, 150 ml, or a glass of liqueur 40 ml.

People with chronic and progressive infection by hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (which is only a true cirrhosis in later stages of its evolution), or autoimmune chronic active hepatitis. Read the rest of this entry »

What are the symptoms of cirrhosis?

The presence and intensity depend on the degree of injury to the liver. In the early stages of the disease, symptoms may be absent, in which case the disease is discovered as a result of a study led by another process.

As the disease progresses, there may be fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, nausea and weight loss.

In the later stages of the disease, the liver is difficult to develop all its functions and may be a variable combination of the following symptoms:

Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and the sclera (the “target” of the eye) due to the inability of the liver to remove the blood a substance called bilirubin.

Nail disorders: the shape and appearance of nails can be modified, it can increase its curvature (watch glass nails) or showing a whitish opaque, rather than pink.

Skin changes: about a quarter of patients develop skin darkening. Read the rest of this entry »

What causes the inflammation that causes cirrhosis?

Excessive consumption of alcohol: the incidence of cirrhosis in a country is directly related to alcohol consumption per capita.

Chronic viral hepatitis, chronic viral hepatitis in the two viruses involved are those of hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B virus is common in Africa and Asia. The importance of HCV is high in Europe and the U.S., and rising.

Primary biliary cirrhosis: Primary biliary cirrhosis is a rare disease that affects mostly women. Do not abuse alcohol. In these patients the body which, for reasons not known, it triggers an attack on his own liver. Read the rest of this entry »

What is cirrhosis?

Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease, which is an increase of fibrous tissue in the nodules, with alteration of normal organ structure. It is the final result of various causes that have been damaging the liver for a long time. The most common in most countries around us, is the excessive consumption of alcohol, but there are other important causes that are explained later.

The destruction of the normal structure and the decrease in liver cells involve an impairment in normal functioning of the organ. The liver is involved significantly in the digestion of food, but also is instrumental in the drug metabolism and protein synthesis, including those involved in the phenomena of blood clotting. Read the rest of this entry »