Cirrhosis
Long-standing liver disease in which healthy liver tissue is progressively replaced by scar tissue.
What is happening
Causes include chronic hepatitis B and C, sustained heavy alcohol use, obesity-related fatty liver, bile duct disease, and certain drugs and toxins. Complications can include jaundice, easy bruising, fluid in the abdomen and legs, bleeding from varices, confusion, infection, and liver cancer. Much of this is manageable when it is picked up and followed properly.
What helps
- Stop alcohol completely
- Keep salt intake low
- Vaccination against hepatitis A and B, and influenza
- Regular surveillance for varices and liver cancer
See a doctor promptly if you have
- Vomiting blood or passing black stools
- Increasing drowsiness or confusion
- Fever with abdominal pain
- Rapidly increasing abdominal swelling
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 cirrhosis
Consultations at all four centres — Vastrapur, Bopal, Bapunagar and Nikol.