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Cirrhosis is a disease that seriously affects liver function. The treatment is not simple, especially when cirrhosis is severe, it is often irreversible. However, the prevention of cirrhosis is completely within the ability of everyone.1. What is cirrhosis of the liver?
Cirrhosis is a chronic disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrous tissue, scarring and neoplastic nodule formation that results in loss of liver function. It is estimated that more than 20,000 people die each year worldwide from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, which is also the 10th leading cause of death for men and 12th for women.
Cirrhosis is the later stage of chronic hepatitis . It is the result of the liver being attacked by harmful agents for a long time, leading to cell damage, gradual death and scar tissue formation, irreversible, making the liver gradually harden, unable to perform. get normal functions.
2. Causes of cirrhosis of the liver ascites
Causes of cirrhosis are many, including:
Alcohol: Alcoholics have the highest incidence of cirrhosis because they often drink alcohol that has not been detoxified. Over time, these toxins increasingly damage liver cells and cause fibrosis. The reason that cirrhosis occurs in people who drink a lot of alcohol is because it is slowly absorbed by the toxins in alcohol, first the liver will become fatty, then cause chronic hepatitis and finally turn into cirrhosis. liver. Therefore, cirrhosis often occurs over a long period of time, sometimes decades after alcoholism. Cirrhosis due to cholestasis: A condition in which bile is stagnant due to inflammation, obstruction of the bile ducts and bile, affecting the liver. Cirrhosis caused by viral hepatitis: When you have viral hepatitis, it can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer, especially viral hepatitis B and C. Parasitic cirrhosis: There are 3 common types of parasites. in the liver are amoeba, malaria parasites and liver flukes, which damage liver cells and cause disease. Cirrhosis due to prolonged stagnation of blood: Due to conditions that reduce blood flow such as heart failure, thrombophlebitis on the liver. People who have had side effects from certain medications or from long-term exposure to toxins are also at risk for cirrhosis. Some abnormalities cause accumulation of toxins in the liver leading to tissue destruction and cirrhosis such as iron stagnation due to excessive absorption which gradually causes arthritis, heart failure, testicular dysfunction and cirrhosis of the liver. ; or from copper deposition in Wilson's disease. Children born without bile ducts due to atrophy will also lead to cirrhosis. Of these causes, alcoholic cirrhosis accounts for more than half of all deaths. Currently, alcohol and viral hepatitis are the two most common causes of cirrhosis. However, anyone can get cirrhosis, but the following situations are more likely:
Alcoholism; Have viral hepatitis; Have diabetes ; Fat; Injecting drugs or sharing needles; Have a history of liver disease; Unsafe sex.
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3. Signs of cirrhosis of the liver
The liver is a part that has a very good compensatory ability, that is, the part of the liver that has not been fibrosis will take over the function and task for the hardened part of the liver.
In the early stages, when the causes of the disease are still silently attacking the liver, you often have no signs but a few symptoms such as loss of appetite, bloating and indigestion, fatigue, weight loss , some people manifest with a decrease in sex drive .
At a later stage, when liver failure begins, you may have symptoms such as:
Dark skin, itching; Appearance of many red vasodilating nodules on the skin of the chest, back, neck or face, arms; The red palm is also known as the red hand sign; Dark urine; Easy to bleed gums, nose blood; The skin bruises more easily on impact, the eyes and skin begin to yellow; In the severe stage of the disease, when the liver is no longer able to compensate, there will be yellowing of the skin and eyes, edema, large abdomen, watery peritoneum, also known as peritoneal effusion or ascites. Until now, the treatment method for cirrhosis depends on the cause and extent of damage of each patient. The goals of treatment are to slow the progression of scar tissue in the liver, control symptoms of the disease, and prevent or treat complications.
Cirrhosis is a serious disease with a poor prognosis, especially when ascites or jaundice, the mortality rate is up to about 70% in the first year and 85% after 2 years of cirrhosis. However, the disease progresses quickly or slowly depending on the lifestyle, work, nutrition as well as the prevention of other infections.
The part of the liver that has been damaged by fibrosis cannot be restored, so it is important that you prevent cirrhosis early.
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4. How to prevent cirrhosis?
To prevent cirrhosis , you need to proactively protect your liver by:
Hepatitis B vaccination for all children and adults who have not yet been sick; Follow a healthy lifestyle, do not abuse alcohol; Avoid eating raw food, should eat cooked and boiled to avoid infection with parasites; Using clean foods, ensuring food safety and hygiene to prevent contamination of toxic chemicals and colors that cause liver damage; Do not use drugs indiscriminately affecting the liver; For people who already have chronic hepatitis B or C, it is necessary to periodically monitor every 3 or 6 months, so that advanced hepatitis can be detected and treated early, and severe complications such as cirrhosis can be prevented. and liver cancer. In addition, healthy people also need periodic health check-ups so that liver diseases can be detected and treated early.
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