Ascites
A collection of fluid in the abdominal cavity that causes the belly to swell, often with early fullness after meals, heaviness and leg swelling.
What is happening
Ascites is a signal, not a diagnosis. Advanced liver disease is the commonest cause, but tuberculosis, heart or kidney failure and cancer all produce it. A diagnostic tap of a small amount of fluid usually tells us which - and that answer changes the entire treatment.
What helps
- Restrict salt
- Take diuretics exactly as prescribed and keep to the weight checks
- Stop alcohol entirely
- Report fever or abdominal pain immediately - infected fluid is an emergency
See a doctor promptly if you have
- Fever with abdominal pain or tenderness
- Rapid increase in swelling
- Breathlessness
- Confusion
How we investigate it
Almost always the answer comes from a careful history first, and only then a targeted test — not a panel of everything. Depending on what we find, that may be an endoscopy, a colonoscopy, a Fibroscan or a breath test. We will tell you why a test is being suggested, and what we would do differently depending on the result.
Speak to a gastroenterologist about ascites
Consultations at all four centres — Vastrapur, Bopal, Bapunagar and Nikol.