Is alcoholic cirrhosis ascites serious?

Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 18, 2024
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Once ascites caused by alcoholic liver cirrhosis is discovered, it indicates that the liver has reached the decompensated stage of cirrhosis, which is quite severe. Decompensated cirrhosis itself has a relatively low five-year and ten-year survival rate. Moreover, once the liver enters the decompensated stage, it is also prone to corresponding complications, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, infections, etc. Therefore, when alcoholic liver cirrhosis presents with ascites, it is crucial to seek treatment at a formal hospital. The condition is quite serious and requires active treatment.

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Can early-stage cirrhosis cancer be cured?

Whether early-stage liver cirrhosis cancer can be cured depends on a detailed analysis of the specific situation. Firstly, if a patient with early-stage liver cirrhosis develops cancer, it is crucial to promptly combine the patient’s physical condition with aggressive surgical treatment. The specific surgical approach and procedure are determined by clinical doctors. Moreover, for patients with early-stage cancer, targeted etiological treatment should be administered. For instance, if the early-stage liver cancer is caused by alcoholic liver cirrhosis, active intervention is necessary. If it is due to viral hepatitis, such as chronic hepatitis B leading to liver cirrhosis and progressing to early-stage cancer, active antiviral treatment is required.

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What are the complications of late-stage liver cirrhosis?

Late-stage cirrhosis can lead to many complications, such as bleeding from esophageal and gastric varices, which is one of the more common and severe complications of cirrhosis. Other complications include spontaneous peritonitis, liver cancer, hepatorenal syndrome, hepatic encephalopathy, portal vein thrombosis, and symptoms like ascites, palmar erythema, and spider angiomas. Additionally, there may be symptoms such as dark skin or hyperpigmentation and jaundice. Once cirrhosis is diagnosed, timely intervention and treatment are necessary to delay the progression of the disease.

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Which is more serious, liver failure or cirrhosis?

Liver failure refers to a functional impairment of the liver, which could be acute or chronic damage. For instance, it could be the end stage of chronic liver disease, or an acute condition such as hepatitis, or another acute liver lesion. Other common lesions may also cause a sudden abnormality in liver function, resulting in severe liver dysfunction. At this point, liver cirrhosis is a common cause of liver failure. For example, in the middle and late stages of liver cirrhosis, liver function is completely decompensated, meaning the liver can no longer maintain its basic normal functions, leading to liver failure. Therefore, liver failure is one of the major consequences of liver cirrhosis, but the two are distinct. Liver failure can also be caused by other reasons not related to cirrhosis. For example, acute ischemia in the liver, such as in shock patients, can lead to liver ischemia and subsequently liver failure. Liver cirrhosis is just one of the common causes thereof.

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What should I do if cirrhosis causes general weakness?

Liver cirrhosis can lead to general weakness due to electrolyte disorders or severe liver function impairment, causing the symptoms mentioned above. Once general weakness occurs, it is necessary to go to the hospital for comprehensive auxiliary examinations, such as liver function tests, routine blood tests, and electrolyte tests. Additionally, imaging studies of the abdomen should be performed to determine whether conditions like ascites, anemia, or hyponatremia exist. Different treatments are administered based on different disease diagnoses. For instance, if the weakness is due to severe ascites causing dilutional hyponatremia, sodium supplementation might be necessary, along with appropriate ascites drainage.

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Is liver cirrhosis with ascites contagious?

Liver cirrhosis in the decompensated stage with ascites present is not inherently contagious. Whether the condition is infectious depends not on the severity of liver function, the degree of liver cirrhosis, or the gravity of ascites, but rather on the underlying cause of the liver cirrhosis. For example, liver cirrhosis caused by alcohol consumption is not contagious. However, if the liver cirrhosis is due to viral hepatitis, such as commonly seen with hepatitis B or C, the condition can be infectious. Therefore, the presence of ascites or liver cirrhosis itself is not an indicator of infectiousness; the crucial factor is whether there is an infectious virus present.