General Medical Advices

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.

Fluid retention: a common disorder at some time during the course of the disease. Although the liver is not directly involved in the removal of fluids from the body, working decisively in their distribution, and in their proper excretion through the kidneys. When its function is impaired, fluid may accumulate in the legs (edema) or abdomen (ascites).

Alterations in blood vessels: the most common disorder is a spider nevi or spider veins, which consist of a central red dot, ie a vessel under the skin perpendicular surfaces (the “body”) and small vessels departing a radial (the “legs”). Also frequent flushing of the face and palms.

Fragility of skin and mucous membranes, nosebleeds are frequent and the cardinals and skin erosions due to blood vessel abnormalities and impairment of coagulation, because they decrease hepatic synthesis of proteins involved in it.

Breast growth in males: this sign is called gynecomastia, and because the diseased liver does not destroy the female sex hormones produced by the male body. For the same reason reduces the size of the testicles.

In the final stages of the disease, serious complications can occur such as gastrointestinal bleeding with vomiting of blood, which may be due to rupture of dilated veins in the lower esophagus (esophageal varices), or come from a stomach ulcer. This can be very serious and requires hospital treatment.

One of the functions of the liver is to remove toxic substances from the blood. In cirrhosis, blood can not pass through the liver due to the disruption of its structure, and can reach toxic dicahs the brain leading to a disorder of function that is called hepatic encephalopathy, which manifests as confusion, behavioral disorders, drowsiness and finally coma. This complication is also serious and requires hospital treatment.

credit to: Dr. José María Ladero Quesada, Dr. Carl J. Brandt, Dr. Ove Schaffalitzky de Muckadell, Dr. Alan Ogilvie

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