Cirrhosis how long does it take to get

Cirrhosis is a progressive liver disease that happens over time. The damage to your liver can sometimes reverse or improve if the trigger is gone, such as stop drinking alcohol or if the virus is treated. The goal of treatment is to slow down the buildup of scar tissue and prevent or treat other health problems. In many cases, you may be able to delay or stop any more liver damage. If you have hepatitis, it may be treated to delay worsening of your liver disease. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, or vitamins.

A liver transplant may be needed. Other treatments may be specific to your cause of cirrhosis, such as controlling excessive iron or copper levels, or using immune suppressing medicines.

Be sure to ask your healthcare provider about recommended vaccines. These include vaccines for viruses that can cause liver disease. Health Home Conditions and Diseases. Cirrhosis is a long-term chronic liver disease. The damage to your liver builds up over time. The liver does many important things including: Removes waste from the body, such as toxins and medicines Makes bile to help digest food Stores sugar that the body uses for energy Makes new proteins When you have cirrhosis, scar tissue slows the flow of blood through the liver.

What causes cirrhosis? These may include: Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency High blood galactose levels Glycogen storage diseases Cystic fibrosis Porphyria a disorder in which certain chemicals build up in the blood Hereditary buildup of too much copper Wilson disease or iron hemochromatosis in the body What are the symptoms of cirrhosis? Symptoms may include: Fluid buildup in the belly ascites Vomiting blood, often from bleeding in the blood vessels in the food pipe esophagus Gallstones Itching Yellowing of the skin and eyes jaundice Kidney failure Muscle loss Loss of appetite Easy bruising Spider-like veins in the skin Low energy and weakness fatigue Weight loss Confusion as toxins build up in the blood The symptoms of cirrhosis may look like other health problems.

How is cirrhosis diagnosed? Your healthcare provider will look at your past health. He or she will give you a physical exam. You may also have tests including: Blood tests. These will include liver function tests to see if the liver is working the way it should. The most common symptoms are very non-specific and they include fatigue or excessive tiredness, lack of drive, and sometimes itching. Signs of liver disease that are more prominent are jaundice or yellowing of the eyes and skin, dark urine, very pale or light colored stool, bleeding from the GI tract, mental confusion, and retention of fluids in the abdomen or belly.

Any amount of alcohol can produce damage to the liver. In an otherwise healthy person with no underlying liver problems, the general rule of thumb is different for men and women:. If an individual has an underlying liver condition such as hepatitis B or C, or prior damage from alcohol or other diseases, the liver is very sensitive to any amount of alcohol. In those conditions, the only safe dose of alcohol is zero.

The most common agent is probably acetaminophen Tylenol, although it is contained in many OTC medications. It remains the safest medication for fevers, aches, and pains, but only taken in small recommended amounts. Amounts greater than those recommended can result in liver damage or failure.

Acetaminophen overdose is a common reason for considering a liver transplant. A more serious problem occurs in patients who drink alcohol on a daily basis, particularly more than two drinks. In those situations, normal doses of Tylenol three to four times a day can produce severe liver damage.

The same problem can occur in patients with the other liver diseases such as viral hepatitis. Additionally, more common toxins tend to be those that are inhaled, such as cleaning solvents, aerosolized paints, thinners, etc. The liver is a unique organ. It is the only organ in the body that is able to regenerate. With most organs, such as the heart, the damaged tissue is replaced with scar, like on the skin.

Cirrhosis is scarring fibrosis of the liver caused by long-term liver damage. The scar tissue prevents the liver working properly.

Cirrhosis is sometimes called end-stage liver disease because it happens after other stages of damage from conditions that affect the liver, such as hepatitis. Your liver may keep working even when you have cirrhosis. However, cirrhosis can eventually lead to liver failure, and you can get serious complications, which can be life threatening.

Get advice about coronavirus and liver disease from the British Liver Trust. If a GP suspects cirrhosis, they'll check your medical history and do a physical examination to look for signs of long-term liver disease. If tests show that you have cirrhosis, a GP should refer you to see a doctor who specialises in liver problems hepatologist.

If you have complications from cirrhosis, or a high chance of getting complications, you may be referred to a specialist liver centre. There's no cure for cirrhosis at the moment. Other causes include:. Toxins, including alcohol, are broken down by the liver. However, if the amount of alcohol is too high, the liver will be overworked, and liver cells can eventually become damaged. Heavy, regular, long-term drinkers are much more likely to develop cirrhosis, compared with other, healthy people.

Typically, heavy drinking needs to be sustained for at least 10 years for cirrhosis to develop. Hepatitis C, a blood-borne infection, can damage the liver and eventually lead to cirrhosis. Hepatitis C is a common cause of cirrhosis in Western Europe, North America, and many other parts of the world.

Cirrhosis can also be caused by hepatitis B and D. NASH, in its early stages, begins with the accumulation of too much fat in the liver. The fat causes inflammation and scarring, resulting in possible cirrhosis later on. NASH is more likely to occur in people who are obese, diabetes patients, those with high fat levels in the blood, and people with high blood pressure. Sometimes the liver is attacked. Eventually, the patient can develop cirrhosis.

Some conditions and diseases, such as cancer of the bile ducts, or cancer of the pancreas, can block the bile ducts, increasing the risk of cirrhosis. This condition causes blood clots in the hepatic vein, the blood vessel that carries blood from the liver. This leads to liver enlargement and the development of collateral vessels. Because there are rarely symptoms early on in the condition, cirrhosis is often diagnosed when the patient is being tested for some other condition or disease.

A doctor will examine the patient and feel around the liver area to determine whether it is enlarged. The patient will be asked about their medical history and lifestyle, including drinking. Cirrhosis can lead to several other conditions, some of which are life-threatening. These include :. Ascites or edema: Ascites is a buildup of fluid in the abdomen, and edema is a buildup of fluid in the legs. They can be treated with a low-salt diet and water pills. In severe cases, the fluid may have to be drained repeatedly.

Surgery is sometimes needed. Varices and portal hypertension: These are large, swollen veins in the esophagus and stomach.