![]() ![]() There are usually few symptoms during the early stages of cirrhosis. Using a condom during sex and not injecting drugs will reduce your risk of developing hepatitis B and C.Ī vaccine for hepatitis B is available, but there's currently no vaccine for hepatitis C. Hepatitis B and C are infections you can get by having unprotected sex or sharing needles to inject drugs. spread your drinking over 3 days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week.men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week.Not exceeding the recommended limits for alcohol consumption is the best way of preventing alcohol-related cirrhosis. In this case, a liver transplant is the only treatment option. In its more advanced stages, the scarring caused by cirrhosis can make your liver stop functioning. You may be advised to cut down or stop drinking alcohol, or to lose weight if you're overweight. A wide range of alcohol support services are available. Treating underlying conditions that may be the cause, such as using anti-viral medication to treat a hepatitis C infection, can also stop cirrhosis getting worse. There's currently no cure for cirrhosis. However, it's possible to manage the symptoms and any complications, and slow its progression. Less common causes of cirrhosis include hepatitis B infection and inherited liver diseases, such as haemochromatosis. It's likely that it will overtake alcohol and hepatitis C as the most common cause of cirrhosis. NASH is on the rise in the UK, due to increasing levels of obesity and reduced physical activity. ![]() a condition called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that causes excess fat to build up in the liver.being infected with the hepatitis C virus for a long time.drinking too much alcohol ( alcohol misuse) over many years.In the UK, the most common causes of cirrhosis are: very dark or black, tarry stools (faeces).See your GP if you have any of the following symptoms: When to see your GPĪs cirrhosis doesn't have many obvious symptoms during the early stages, it's often picked up during tests for an unrelated illness. Read more about the symptoms of cirrhosis. In the later stages, symptoms can include jaundice, vomiting blood, dark, tarry-looking stools, and a build-up of fluid in the legs (oedema) and abdomen (ascites). However, as your liver loses its ability to function properly, you're likely to experience a loss of appetite, nausea and itchy skin. There are usually few symptoms in the early stages of cirrhosis. However, it usually takes years for the condition to reach this stage and treatment can help slow its progression.Įach year in the UK, around 4,000 people die from cirrhosis and 700 people with the condition need a liver transplant to survive. This is called liver failure.Ĭirrhosis can be fatal if the liver fails. The damage caused by cirrhosis can't be reversed and can eventually become so extensive that your liver stops functioning. Scar tissue replaces healthy tissue in the liver and prevents the liver from working properly. Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver caused by continuous, long-term liver damage. ![]()
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