How To Start Your Liver Cirrhosis Treatment?
If you are diagnosed with cirrhosis, it means that you have a medical condition that involves scar tissue gradually replacing healthy liver cells. It causes due to long-term infection or alcohol abuse and liver cirrhosis treatment involves minimizing possible damage by treating the underlying cause.
Treatment for alcohol dependency: If the problem is due to alcohol abuse, your doctor will suggest a treatment program for controlling alcohol addiction.
Weight loss: If it is due to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a weight loss program coupled with blood sugar treatment could help in controlling cirrhosis.
Hepatitis: If it is a viral infection like hepatitis B or C, you will be prescribed medicines to prevent further damage to your liver.
Other causes: Medicines can help prevent damage from causes like biliary cirrhosis. Medication can significantly delay further damage if the problem is diagnosed at an early stage.
Liver cirrhosis treatment also includes nutritional supplements prescribed to counter malnutrition associated with the disease. It also helps prevent osteoporosis (weak bones). Medicines are also prescribed to relieve symptoms like itching, fatigue, and pain.
Treatment for complications
Depending on your health and progression of cirrhosis, your doctor will treat complications of the disease. The complications can vary in severity from person to person.
Fluid buildup: A low-sodium diet and medications will prevent the buildup of fluid in your body. In case, the buildup is severe, the excess fluid will be drained to relieve the pressure.
Portal hypertension: Medicines prescribed to control blood pressure could help prevent severe bleeding in the veins that carry blood to the liver. Your doctor will conduct upper endoscopy at regular intervals to monitor your veins.
Infections: You will be on antibiotics to treat infections. Also, your doctor will suggest a vaccination for pneumonia and hepatitis.
Hepatic encephalopathy: Poor liver function could lead to a buildup of toxins in your blood. But it can be controlled with medicines.
Increased liver cancer risk: Your surgeon will suggest tests for detecting liver cancer at periodic intervals. Signs of cancer could be detected in blood tests and ultrasound exams.
Liver transplant surgery
In advanced cirrhosis cases where the liver stops functioning, the patient requires a transplant. And it could be a healthy liver from a deceased donor or part of a healthy liver from a living donor. What kind of liver cirrhosis treatment you need depends on your overall health and the progression of the disease. But early detection can save your life.
