These can be the accompanying symptoms | Cirrhosis of the liver

These can be the accompanying symptoms

Liver cirrhosis is a chronic disease of the liver and is therefore associated with many liver-specific symptoms.Typically, functional disorders of the liver occur, which are noticeable in the metabolism and in the molecules produced by the liver. Cirrhosis of the liver and the accompanying liver dysfunction can result in a reduced production of coagulation factors, resulting in a tendency to bleed. At the same time, the products that are normally excreted via the liver increase in the body, leading to symptoms of poisoning such as yellowing of the eyes (sclerosis) and skin.

In the late stages, the substances accumulate in the brain, where they lead to so-called hepatic encephalopathy. A congestion of the liver vessels is also not uncommon, so that high blood pressure initially occurs in the vessels of the liver. This leads to the formation of bypass circuits, which in the late stages of liver cirrhosis becomes noticeable through so-called varices (thick, newly formed blood vessels) in the esophagus and around the navel, for example.

A backlog of blood in the spleen with an enlargement of the organ also occurs frequently. The high blood pressure in the liver vessels often leads to water retention in the abdomen (ascites), which is further exacerbated by the liver’s failure to produce proteins. The congestion of bile in the liver can also cause digestive problems. Cirrhosis of the liver also leads to a connective tissue remodelling of the tissue, making the liver feel hard and knotty.

Water in the stomach

Water in the abdomen, also called ascites, is a typical complication of cirrhosis of the liver. It occurs mainly when the liver no longer produces enough protein. The protein (especially albumin) is normally found in the blood, where it binds fluid. If there is a reduced albumin concentration, less fluid is bound in the vessels, so that it leaks into the tissue. The process is intensified by the accumulation of blood in the liver vessels, so that fluid can easily escape from there into the tissue.