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Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis hepatis · Cirhóza jater

What it is

Years of injury replace the liver with scar; blood backs up in the portal system.

Symptoms & signs

  • Jaundice
  • swollen belly (ascites)
  • confusion (encephalopathy)
  • vomiting blood from varices
  • easy bruising
  • spider naevi

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Vomiting blood or black tarry stools
  • call 112 / 911 now Confusion, drowsiness or shaking hands
  • call 112 / 911 now Fever with a swollen, painful belly
  • see a doctor soon Rapid belly swelling, deepening jaundice or much less urine

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • Treat the cause
  • diuretics and paracentesis for ascites
  • beta blockers and banding for varices
  • lactulose and rifaximin for encephalopathy
  • TIPS
  • transplant

Natural & lifestyle

  • Complete alcohol abstinence
  • salt restriction (<2 g sodium)
  • high-protein diet
  • late-evening snack
  • vaccination
  • avoid raw shellfish

Emerging & experimental

  • Anti-fibrotic agents
  • faecal transplant for encephalopathy
  • bioartificial liver support
  • hepatocyte transplantation

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Branched-chain amino acids — some trials show fewer complications mixed evidence
  • Zinc — small trials in encephalopathy early / small studies
  • Milk thistle in alcoholic cirrhosis — trials disagree; no proven survival benefit mixed evidence
  • Artichoke and dandelion — traditional liver herbs; untested anecdotal / traditional

ICD codes