project

2. What is cirrhosis?
 Cirrhosis is a condition
in which the liver slowly
deteriorates and
malfunctions due to
chronic injury. Scar
tissue replaces healthy
liver tissue, partially
blocking the flow of
blood through the liver

3. What causes cirrhosis?
 heavy alcohol consumption
 chronic hepatitis C (the most common)
 Obesity
 Autoimmune inflammation of the liver
 Metabolic disorders

4. What are the symptoms of
cirrhosis?
Symptoms are hard to catch in the early stages of the disease.
However, as the disease progresses, a person may
experience the following symptoms:
 weakness
 fatigue
 loss of appetite
 nausea
 vomiting
 weight loss
 abdominal pain and bloating
 itching
 spiderlike blood vessels on the skin

5. Diagnosis
During a physical examination the doctor may find:
 Enlarged liver or spleen
 Expanded abdomen, as a result of too much fluid
 Abdominal or chest pain
 Red spider-like blood vessels
 Jaundice (yellow eyes or skin)
 Anemia
 Liver function problems
 Low hormone levels

6. Population at risk for Cirrhosis
 Alcoholics
 White men
 Hispanic women
 Ages 41-50
Statistics
 In 2007 about 29,000 people died in the US from cirrhosis,
about 10 per 100,000.
 In 2010 there were about 14,000 deaths in the US from
cirrhosis
 In 1997 cirrhosis was that 10th leading cause of death in the
US

7. What are the complications of
cirrhosis?
 Edema and ascites: fluid collects in the legs, called edema,
and in the abdomen, called ascites..
 Bruising and bleeding easily
 High blood pressure
 Esophageal varices and gastropathy: enlarged blood vessels
in the esophagus and stomach
 Splenomegaly: spleen enlarges
 Gallstones
 Sensitivity to medications
 Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
 Liver cancer

8. Treatment and Prevention
Prevention
 Stop drinking alcohol (or don’t start at all)
 Limit salt in the diet
 Eat a nutritious diet
 Get vaccinated for influenza, hepatitis A and B.
 Practice safe sex
Treatment
 Liver transplant
 Antibiotics

9. Alcohol-related liver disease
 Heavy alcohol use over
several years can cause
chronic injury to the liver.
 For women, consuming
two to three drinks—
including beer and wine—
per day and for men, three
to four drinks per day, can
lead to liver damage and
cirrhosis.
 Alcohol-related cirrhosis
led to more deaths than
cirrhosis of any other
cause.

10. Behavioral Change Model
 A behavior that you can
change to prevent
cirrhosis is to stop
alcohol consumption or
reduce it quite a bit.

11. References
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC).(2008).
Cirrhosis. Retrieve from
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/cirrhosis/
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000255.htm