According to the WHO, the spread of liver cirrhosis in the modern world has reached a huge amount: about forty cases per hundred thousand people. More often, men between the ages of thirty-five and fifty suffer. A fatal outcome is most often observed when a patient reaches the age of 45-50 years. From this article you will learn about the causes of irreversible damage to the liver, types of cirrhosis and treatment.
The functions of the liver in the human body
This is a fairly large organ. The weight of a healthy liver in a man with a height of 180 cm is about one and a half kilograms. Located in the right hypochondrium. It has two lobes: right and left. The liver has a cellular structure. Such a device and determines the amazing ability of this body to self-healing. The number of cells is about half a million. They are separated by thin membranes of connective tissue, through them pass the bile ducts and arteries. They play an important role in the formation of cirrhosis.
The liver pumps a huge amount of blood. In one minute - an average of about a liter.
The human liver is, in fact, a “plant” for the life support of the body. With her diseases, all systems suffer.
The role of the liver in metabolism
Due to the function of the liver in the human body, the following processes are carried out:
- The synthesis of three essential nutrients - proteins, fats, carbohydrates.
- The liver is one of the stages in the production of thyroid-stimulating and sex hormones in both men and women.
- Energy is synthesized from the received glucose.
- The neutralization of toxic and poisonous substances (including the decay products of ethanol in the abuse of alcoholic beverages).
- The formed elements of blood are formed.
- Immunity cells are born.
- The synthesis of bile and some essential enzymes to ensure healthy digestion.
What processes occur with cirrhosis
Thickening, ossification and proliferation of connective tissue between the cells of the organ - this is the process of cirrhosis. These seals begin to strongly compress blood vessels over time, causing a violation of normal blood circulation in the organ.
Over time, the liver cells become lumpy, dense neoplasms that are not able to perform all the tasks of a healthy liver. In fact, there is a degeneration and death of the organ in parts. Later, in the later stages, the so-called false lobules begin to form, which ultrasound inexperienced specialists can confuse with hemangiomas and other neoplasms.
Prognosis for cirrhotic disease
If cirrhosis has appeared, it is only possible to suspend its development. It is impossible to completely cure him. In rare cases of the so-called healing from cirrhosis, mistakes were made in the diagnosis. Types of liver cirrhosis and treatment are closely interrelated: without an accurate diagnosis, a successful outcome is unlikely.
Often patients take the diagnosis lightly and continue to drink and lead a life-threatening lifestyle. This will inevitably be fatal.
For what reasons does this disease appear
The causes of this serious fatal disease are well understood. Very often, patients themselves over the years provoke the appearance of this ailment by malnutrition and a tendency to abuse alcohol. Types of cirrhosis and pathological organ anatomy will be considered a little later.
- Chronic alcoholism is a provoking factor in 68% of cases in men and 76% in women. Cirrhotic changes in the liver, characteristic of the first stage, begin to form with the daily use of 50 or more milliliters of alcohol after five years. It does not matter what the patient drinks - whether it is beer, expensive wines, fine cognacs. All of these drinks contain ethanol, which always leads to irreversible changes in the liver.
- Chronic viral hepatitis is also often a precursor to cirrhotic changes in the organ.
- The cause of liver cirrhosis in young people in some cases is the use of synthetic drugs.
- Owing to the transferred hepatitis A, so-called autoimmune hepatitis often occurs. It is caused by a violation of the recognition of foreign agents and the destruction of its liver cells. An acute autoimmune process turns into a chronic one and causes the occurrence of small-node cirrhosis.
- Problems with the functioning of the gallbladder can also lead to cirrhosis. Here, the main role is played by the patient's diet (table No. 5). Biliary disorders in 7% of cases are the cause of cirrhotic disease.
- It happens that the cause of the development of the disease becomes treatment with chemotherapy and other highly toxic drugs. The liver does not cope with the load, and the connective tissue begins to degenerate.
- Hereditary disorders, metabolic pathologies, problems with the absorption of iron, sodium, chlorine, enzyme deficiency, glycogen formation, cystic fibrosis.
- Postponed echinococcosis, brucellosis, toxoplasmosis even after treatment can lead to degeneration of liver tissue.
The first symptoms and manifestations of cirrhosis
You should immediately beware of people who are immoderate in the use of alcoholic beverages. They fall into a special risk group for the development of cirrhosis. This category of patients should pay particular attention to symptoms, and treatment, and nutrition for cirrhosis.
You should be wary of the following ailments:
- drawing pain in the right side, which obviously intensifies after ingestion in fatty and heavy foods, drinking alcoholic beverages, strong physical exertion;
- rapid weight loss with a normal diet;
- pale stool and undigested pieces of food;
- common problems of the gastrointestinal tract: constipation, bloating;
- constant thirst, which is difficult to quench even with plenty of clean water;
- the appearance in the morning of a bitter taste in the mouth;
- in the later stages of cirrhotic disease - yellowing of the skin and sclera.
Types of liver cirrhosis: a brief description
There are eight varieties of the disease. Consider the types of cirrhosis and symptoms characteristic of each of them:
- Primary biliary cirrhosis - bile ducts located in the interlobular space are destroyed. May hide under the guise of chronic cholestatic hepatitis. Inexperienced gastroenterologists often confuse these two diagnoses by making an erroneous diagnosis.
- Biliary cirrhosis is an inflammatory disease of the internal bile ducts. In almost all cases, there is a serious stagnation of bile, stone formation. The main symptoms are enlarged liver, frequent pain in the right hypochondrium, a bitter taste in the morning in the mouth.
- Alcoholic cirrhosis occurs due to abuse of ethanol-containing drinks. Cicatricial fibrous comes to replace healthy liver tissue. This degeneration of the organ slowly but surely leads the patient to death.
- Viral cirrhosis is a consequence of experienced hepatitis. Occurs far from all patients. If you follow a diet and conduct therapy, a favorable outcome for the patient is possible. It is characterized by violations in the process of digesting food and pain in the right hypochondrium.
- Portal cirrhosis is the most common after alcohol. Poor nutrition, strict diets and hunger strikes, anorexia and bulimia for many years are the cause of this disease. On ultrasound, characteristic signs are observed in the form of nodes of a small but equal size.
- Toxic cirrhosis occurs after forced or voluntary abuse of narcotic substances or heavy medicines. Often develops in weightlifting athletes due to oral anabolic steroids.
- Micronodular cirrhosis of the liver is a consequence of the effect of alcohol on the liver. Otherwise, this variety is called Laeneck cirrhosis. The main symptoms are nausea, light stools, and digestive upsets.
- Decompensated - liver cells are not yet considered destroyed, but they have already lost their functional potential. Symptoms - pain in the right side, weight loss, loss of strength, hyperthermia, manifestations of jaundice, digestive disorders.
Four stages of cirrhosis
According to the clinical course, four stages of the development of the disease can be distinguished:
- the initial stage of compensation - altered biochemical parameters in blood tests (bilirubin, AST and ALT);
- subcompensated stage - to changes in biochemistry is added constant weakness and asthenia in the patient, digestive disorders, heaviness and pain in the right hypochondrium;
- decompensation stage - “in all its glory” the whole clinical picture of cirrhotic disease unfolds;
- decompensated cirrhosis is a neglected stage, which one way or another will soon lead to death.
All types of cirrhosis, regardless of the causes and symptoms, always go through these four stages. The sooner you diagnose the disease and begin therapy, the more chances the patient has for a favorable outcome and remission.
The most common complications of liver cirrhosis
With an increase in blood pressure, a violation of the diet, strong physical exertion, the thinned vein walls of the esophagus and intestines may burst. Such bleeding is life threatening and is accompanied by vomiting, loss of consciousness, dizziness and pallor. With a serious area of bursting veins, only surgeons can help: a fatal outcome from blood loss is possible.
Hepatic coma develops if the liver tissue has almost completely degenerated. Yellowness of the skin and sclera, asthenia and drowsiness, delusions and hallucinations - with these symptoms urgent medical attention is needed. If you leave the patient sick at home, death is possible.
Types of ascites in cirrhosis
Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity occurs when the liver loses its functions. This phenomenon is called ascites in medicine and has several stages:
- The presence of fluid in the amount of one to two liters. At this stage, doctors recommend a laparoscopy: the chance of a favorable outcome is quite large.
- The second stage of ascites is a fluid volume of more than 3 liters, a sharp increase in the abdomen in size. Urgent hospitalization is needed.
- Running ascites is an accumulation of fluid up to fifteen liters. The patient lacks air, begins to suffocate, as the curved diaphragm presses on the lungs. The outcome for the patient is extremely unfavorable.
The role of nutrition in the liver
If the patient is lucky and the doctors were able to diagnose cirrhosis at an early stage, it is necessary to act. Once and for all you need to change your diet, give up alcohol. This will help to enter the stage of remission and prolong the patient's life for many decades. Symptoms of liver cirrhosis , treatment and diet are very closely related. Modern drugs "Heptral", "Karsil", "Hofitol" and many others are able to support the function of the body, but without a healthy diet, all efforts and taking pills will be in vain. All types of cirrhosis require diet and complete elimination of alcohol and drugs.
Refusal from fatty meat (pork, lamb), carbonated and alcoholic drinks, fried foods and fast food is a necessary step for any pathology of the liver or gall bladder. If you do not change your approach to nutrition and continue to lead the same lifestyle, the forecast will remain extremely unfavorable.