Many believe that people who have been abusing alcohol for a long time suffer from such a serious disease as cirrhosis of the liver. But this is not at all necessary. This pathology is almost always – the final stage of chronic diseases of this organ. In order for the opposition to the destruction of the liver to become successful, it is necessary to diagnose such an ailment in a timely manner. And, despite the fact that at the start of the disease, the symptoms are often outwardly not so obvious, they still have the right signs. They allow early detection of cirrhosis and start appropriate therapy.
The main signs of cirrhosis of the liver: all about the problem
Cirrhosis of the liver – progressive disease. It is characterized by the degeneration of organ cells into tissue, according to the building "material"; and properties similar to that which forms scars.
In addition to the generally accepted belief that alcoholics are the main victims of cirrhosis, in many cases the disease can become a completely independent pathology. Such a course of events is possible when the biliary tract is attacked by its own immunity or when the pathology has an unclear etiology.
Diagnose cirrhosis at the earliest "turns" its development is possible according to such preliminary signs:
- appetite worsens, weight decreases. Such symptoms indicate that a weakened, diseased organ is not able to maintain the metabolic process at the proper level, the metabolism is inhibited, and with it the person's appetite also deteriorates. At the same time, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting are not uncommon;
- a feeling of dryness and bitterness in the mouth that usually occurs in the morning;
- irritability and fatigue; the immunity of the sick person weakens, the body mobilizes all its forces to support the organ affected by the disease, therefore the person has weakness;
- enlarged liver size;
- sometimes disturbing pain in the abdomen (mainly in the right hypochondrium) of a aching nature; they, as a rule, become aggravated at excessive physical. loads, as well as after eating fatty and fried foods, alcohol.
With the further development of the disease, other symptoms also appear: some of them can be detected only with a blood test or examination of the gastrointestinal tract. Even if cirrhosis in the early stages often goes unnoticed, there are still sure signs of a serious pathology:
- the skin, as well as the whites of the eyes and mucous membranes, become yellow. This is due to the fact that the level of bilirubin in the blood rises: the liver is simply no longer able to process it;
- the stomach greatly increases in size. This is a consequence of the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity; the so-called. the effect of the head of Medusa, when the veins in the abdomen expand and seem to radiate from the navel;
- the feet and palms turn red, as the rate of destruction of estrogen in the blood becomes lower. And an excess amount of the hormone leads to the expansion of capillaries in these parts of the body, a rush of blood to them – what is the reason for their redness;
- with an excess of female hormone – estrogen – the occurrence of the following symptoms, depending on the hormonal background, is also associated: hair loss on the pubis and in the armpits, breast enlargement, obesity on the sides and hips (female type), reduced libido.
- muscle atrophy and genital organs, a feeling of impotence;
- the appearance of insomnia, apathy, memory impairment, cases of impaired consciousness are not uncommon.
Accurate diagnosis requires a blood test, MRI (to clarify changes both in the liver itself and in other organs), ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, and a biopsy is often required.
After the necessary examination, a therapeutic course is prescribed, which, in addition to taking medications or surgery, includes a special diet. You should also adhere to a healthy lifestyle and say goodbye to bad habits, since cirrhosis is fraught with serious complications.
Remember that delay in case of the slightest suspicion of cirrhosis can cost the liver, or even end in death: do not put off going to the doctor for later.
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