Cirrhosis Symptoms and signs
Signs and Symptoms of cirrhosis
Some of the following signs and symptoms may occur in the presence of cirrhosis or as a result of the complications of cirrhosis. These Symptoms may develop gradually, and vary with the stage of the illness, in some cases there may be no symptoms, especially at the early stages of cirrhosis. As healthy liver tissue is destroyed and scar tissue builds up, the liver loses its ability to function properly and more symptoms will appear. Some of the symptoms may be nonspecific and may occur in other diseases and do not necessarily point to cirrhosis.
As the disease progresses, the liver function weakens, some symptoms do occur, a persona may experience the following symptoms:
- Confusion, problems thinking, personality changes
- Impotence, loss of interest in sex, and breast development (gynecomastia) in men
- Nausea, vomiting, vomiting blood
- Nosebleeds or bleeding gums
- Blood in the stools, pale or clay-colored stools
- Blood Capillaries- Small, red spider-like blood vessels on the skin
- Edema and Ascites- Swelling in the ankles, legs and in the abdomen, due to fluid accumulates (often an early sign)
- fatigue, tiredness and lack of energy
- Weight loss or sudden weight gain
- Jaundice- Yellow color in the skin, and eyes due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood
- loss of appetite and indigestion
- Itchy skin
- A brownish or orange tinted urine
- Fever and shivering attacks
- Easy bruising due to the decreased production of blood clotting factors by the diseased liver.
- tenderness or pain around the liver
- Hair loss
Late- stage symptoms
In the later stages of cirrhosis, patients may vomit blood or have tarry, black stools. This is due to the blood are not able to flow through the liver properly, which causes an increase in blood pressure in the vein that carries blood from the gut to the liver (portal vein).
The increase in blood pressure forces blood through smaller, fragile vessels that line your stomach and gullet (varices). These can burst under high blood pressure, leading to internal bleeding, which is visible in vomit and/or stools.