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Causes & Development In the United States, chronic alcoholism and hepatitis C are the most common of its many causes. In babies, blocked bile ducts are most commonly caused by biliary atresia, a disease in which the bile ducts are absent or injured. Secondary biliary cirrhosis can happen after gallbladder surgery, if the ducts are inadvertently tied off or injured. Signs & Symptoms Many people with cirrhosis have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. However, as scar tissue replaces healthy cells, liver function starts to fail and a person may experience various symptoms. If a liver examination is necessary, the doctor might order a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan, ultrasound, a scan of the liver using a radioisotope, or look at the liver using a laparoscope. For a biopsy, the doctor uses a needle to take a small sample of tissue from the liver, then examines it for scarring or other signs of disease. Treatment & Prevention Liver damage from cirrhosis cannot be reversed, but treatment can stop or delay further progression and reduce complications. Prevention Don't drink heavily. Prognosis; Complications; Seek medical attention if Survival depends on the severity of complications of cirrhosis and the underlying causes. Because the liver does not remove drugs from the blood at the usual rate, they act longer than expected and build up in the body. Varices. When blood flow through the portal vein slows, blood from the intestines and spleen backs up into blood vessels in the stomach and esophagus. These blood vessels may become enlarged because they are not meant to carry this much blood. The enlarged blood vessels, called varices, have thin walls and carry high pressure, and thus are more likely to burst. If they do burst, the result is a serious bleeding problem in the upper stomach or esophagus that requires immediate medical attention. Problems in other organs. Cirrhosis can cause immune system dysfunction, leading to infection. |
| Alcohol Avoidance Kava Silymarin / Milk Thistle Vitamin Niacinamide |