Liver Cirrhosis in Lakewood, CA
ProDigest
Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates is a renowned
institution in Lakewood and Long Beach, California. Our team of four
board-certified gastroenterology doctors with extensive experience
and expertise is dedicated to addressing gastroenterology issues,
including liver cirrhosis.
What is Liver Cirrhosis?
Liver cirrhosis occurs when there is damage to the liver over many years. This damage can be due to alcohol and drug use, viruses, and metabolic factors. This damage creates permanent scarring that interferes with its normal function when scar tissue replaces healthy tissue.
Liver cirrhosis is a long-term and chronic inflammation called chronic hepatitis. The end stage of this condition is liver failure.
Causes of Liver Cirrhosis
- Chronic Hepatitis
- Alcohol
- Non-alcohol-related steatohepatitis
- Chronic hepatitis B/C infection
- Autoimmune biliary disease
- Genetic Disorders
- Toxic hepatitis
- CHF
Symptoms of Liver Cirrhosis?
ProDigest Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates in Lakewood, CA, explains that liver scarring blocks blood and oxygen flow through the liver. This blocking decreases your liver's ability to metabolize nutrients and filter out toxins. Your liver can no longer produce bile and essential blood proteins.
You may experience vague symptoms early in the disease. Symptoms can resemble other conditions. However, as the function of your liver decreases, symptoms become more recognizable. Bile may not be going where it needs to go. The following are signs of liver failure.
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Upper right side abdominal pain
- Redness in palms of hands
- Visible blood vessels looking like spiders
As your liver cirrhosis progresses, you will notice symptoms of advancing cirrhosis, such as,
- Portal hypertension, abdominal swelling
- Jaundice
- Pruritus, itchy skin, no rash
- Dark-colored pee
- Light-colored poop
- Trouble digesting fats
- Small yellow bumps or fatty deposits on skin and eyelids
- Muscle loss
- Weight loss, unexplained
- Confusion, disorientation, mood changes
- Twitching, tremors, lapses in muscle control
- Menstrual cycle disruptions
- Shrunken testes
- Enlarged male breast tissue
- Swelling in hands, feet, legs, and face
- Easy bleeding, bruising
- Vomiting of blood
- Blood in stools
- Low urine output, chronic kidney failure
We review your signs and symptoms of cirrhosis, including when symptoms began. We review your lifestyle, diet, and exercise. We order blood tests and imaging tests, review your medical history, current medications, herbs, supplements, and diet, and we may perform a liver biopsy.
Liver Cirrhosis Treatment
Treatment options depend on your liver disease type. Some treatment options are antivirals, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, eliminating toxins such as alcohol consumption, managing metabolic factors like cholesterol, blood sugar, and obesity, eating nutritionally sound diets, exercising plenty, and treating complications.