How to Treat Cirrhosis
Treat the early stages of cirrhosis before the liver fails/is ruined., Stop all underlying causes of continued damage such as from alcohol, saturated fats, excess sugar, salt (called sodium on food labels) and stop using OTC pain-relievers (limit...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Treat the early stages of cirrhosis before the liver fails/is ruined.
Stop the causes of the liver damage by treating the causes.
Still, the liver is one of the most regenerative/self-healing organs in the body if you can give it a large portion of a good liver to work on and time to regenerate.The technique in use since the 1990s, requires a healthy living donor who gives a portion of the healthy liver to the patient whose diseased liver is removed, and both persons will be out of the hospital in about a week.
The donor recovers in 2 or 3 months (the recipient may take up to a 6 to 12 months to fully heal and adapt).
Both livers can grow back to a normal size in 2 months per the USC San Francisco Medical Center; see more info under the section: "Treating Cirrhosis Medically"
below., Quit drinking alcohol.
Whether or not your cirrhosis was caused by alcohol abuse, you should stop consuming any alcohol immediately, as it forces your liver to work very hard, and can cause additional damage and scarring.Moderate consumption of coffee has been shown to be helpful in slowing the progression of cirrhosis; therefore, you should consume coffee in moderation (e.g. no more than one to two cups daily)., In order to prevent edema (swelling) or ascites (fluid build-up between organs in the abdomen) from forming, choose foods that are sodium-free, or that are very low in sodium.Avoid high sodium intake which causes or exacerbates fluid retention, which can cause your damaged liver to work harder than necessary.
If you have been consuming a lot of sodium, food may taste very bland to you at first; however, you can choose to garnish your meals with healthy herbs and spices, such as onion powder, garlic, sage, paprika, and pepper., This diet should include moderate amounts of fresh fruits and lots of vegetables.
Limit your consumption of animal protein, but be sure to get your protein from other sources such as egg whites, wild caught cold-water fish (such as salmon and flounder), legumes/beans/peas, quinoa, and tofu.Limit your protein intake to lean protein.
Eat vegetable protein and lean meat such as broiled/roasted poultry or fish.
You need adequate protein in your diet to be well nourished.
Stop eating red meat, raw seafood or any large amounts of protein at one time, particularly if you are at risk of encephalopathy, as animal protein can increase the likelihood of developing problems with your mental functioning.Make sure to also eat complex carbohydrates.
When the liver is damaged, it cannot accumulate reserves of glycogen for quick energy, so doctors recommend that patients eat vegetable based, carb-rich snacks, fruits, low-calorie snacks (not greasy or sugary ones) between meals.Glycogen is converted into glucose/energy in muscle cells, and the liver converts glycogen to glucose/energy for use throughout the body as it circulates throughout, including the central nervous system.
Fatigue:
A drug that has shown promise in fighting fatigue in studies is modafinil ('Provigil'
'Alertec'
'Vigicer'
'Modalert'
etc).
It is a memory-improving and mood-brightening psycho-stimulant.
It enhances wakefulness, attention and vigilance, but its pharmacological profile is notably different from the amphetamines or methylphenidate (Ritalin), as modafinil is less likely to cause jitteriness or anxiety.Excellent snacks that will help boost your carbohydrate/energy intake include crackers, non-sugary cereals (for example regular Cheerios cereal/toasted oat loops have zero/0 sugar), bagels, plain boiled/steamed or baked potatoes without bacon and butter, also plain sweet potatoes are good, as are bananas, and other fruit, low-fat milk, and low-fat no-sugar-added ice cream/frozen yogurt, limit/avoid sugary fruit juices, but eat fresh fruit.
Avoid white flour and white bread, but eat whole-multi-grain bread instead. , Get enough sleep and rest to recover from exercise.
Patients with cirrhosis must exercise moderately and regularly to avoid the wasting of muscle tissue, which can occur when the liver becomes damaged.
Exercise is also important if you are overweight to lose more fat and less muscle.
Try to exercise moderately four times a week for at least 30 minutes a day.
Great forms of exercise include brisk walking, cycling, treadmill, swimming, and machines such as recumbent bike, and a seated stepper that works the arms. , Stop use of drugs such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen (such as Motrin or Advil), naproxen (Aleve) and aspirin which are drugs used to treat mild or moderate pain and inflammation
-- but stop using them with your cirrhosis.While they are great for normal/healthy persons for treating the occasional headache, for cirrhosis the normal or larger doses, especially in combination with alcohol, can be toxic to the liver.
Cirrhosis means that your liver is already damaged, so you should avoid NSAIDs as they can cause your liver to fail.Ask your doctor first before taking any NSAID medications (that you might think you need) such as Tylenol (acetaminophen, such as Motrin or Advil), aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen (Aleve) and any other pain medications.
If you are not certain that a medication is safe for you to take, make a quick call to your doctor to make sure is warranted.
Failing to do so could be deadly, so it is better to be safe. , Take friends and family up on their offers of any help and let them know what would be needed.
Cirrhosis can be exhausting, so if someone agrees to do grocery shopping, wash a load of laundry or cook your dinner certain days per week accept their help., Strong relationships can help you have a positive attitude.
If friends or family don't understand your illness, you may find a support group can be helpful.
Ask doctors, nurses, hospitals about support/rehab, etc. -
Step 2: Stop all underlying causes of continued damage such as from alcohol
-
Step 3: saturated fats
-
Step 4: excess sugar
-
Step 5: salt (called sodium on food labels) and stop using OTC pain-relievers (limit all such diet and self-medicating behaviors) immediately.
-
Step 6: Limit your sodium intake.
-
Step 7: Eat a well-balanced
-
Step 8: healthy diet.
-
Step 9: Begin a regular exercise program and sleep too.
-
Step 10: Avoid non-steroidal
-
Step 11: anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
-
Step 12: Get help on chores and routine.
-
Step 13: Seek a support group.
Detailed Guide
Stop the causes of the liver damage by treating the causes.
Still, the liver is one of the most regenerative/self-healing organs in the body if you can give it a large portion of a good liver to work on and time to regenerate.The technique in use since the 1990s, requires a healthy living donor who gives a portion of the healthy liver to the patient whose diseased liver is removed, and both persons will be out of the hospital in about a week.
The donor recovers in 2 or 3 months (the recipient may take up to a 6 to 12 months to fully heal and adapt).
Both livers can grow back to a normal size in 2 months per the USC San Francisco Medical Center; see more info under the section: "Treating Cirrhosis Medically"
below., Quit drinking alcohol.
Whether or not your cirrhosis was caused by alcohol abuse, you should stop consuming any alcohol immediately, as it forces your liver to work very hard, and can cause additional damage and scarring.Moderate consumption of coffee has been shown to be helpful in slowing the progression of cirrhosis; therefore, you should consume coffee in moderation (e.g. no more than one to two cups daily)., In order to prevent edema (swelling) or ascites (fluid build-up between organs in the abdomen) from forming, choose foods that are sodium-free, or that are very low in sodium.Avoid high sodium intake which causes or exacerbates fluid retention, which can cause your damaged liver to work harder than necessary.
If you have been consuming a lot of sodium, food may taste very bland to you at first; however, you can choose to garnish your meals with healthy herbs and spices, such as onion powder, garlic, sage, paprika, and pepper., This diet should include moderate amounts of fresh fruits and lots of vegetables.
Limit your consumption of animal protein, but be sure to get your protein from other sources such as egg whites, wild caught cold-water fish (such as salmon and flounder), legumes/beans/peas, quinoa, and tofu.Limit your protein intake to lean protein.
Eat vegetable protein and lean meat such as broiled/roasted poultry or fish.
You need adequate protein in your diet to be well nourished.
Stop eating red meat, raw seafood or any large amounts of protein at one time, particularly if you are at risk of encephalopathy, as animal protein can increase the likelihood of developing problems with your mental functioning.Make sure to also eat complex carbohydrates.
When the liver is damaged, it cannot accumulate reserves of glycogen for quick energy, so doctors recommend that patients eat vegetable based, carb-rich snacks, fruits, low-calorie snacks (not greasy or sugary ones) between meals.Glycogen is converted into glucose/energy in muscle cells, and the liver converts glycogen to glucose/energy for use throughout the body as it circulates throughout, including the central nervous system.
Fatigue:
A drug that has shown promise in fighting fatigue in studies is modafinil ('Provigil'
'Alertec'
'Vigicer'
'Modalert'
etc).
It is a memory-improving and mood-brightening psycho-stimulant.
It enhances wakefulness, attention and vigilance, but its pharmacological profile is notably different from the amphetamines or methylphenidate (Ritalin), as modafinil is less likely to cause jitteriness or anxiety.Excellent snacks that will help boost your carbohydrate/energy intake include crackers, non-sugary cereals (for example regular Cheerios cereal/toasted oat loops have zero/0 sugar), bagels, plain boiled/steamed or baked potatoes without bacon and butter, also plain sweet potatoes are good, as are bananas, and other fruit, low-fat milk, and low-fat no-sugar-added ice cream/frozen yogurt, limit/avoid sugary fruit juices, but eat fresh fruit.
Avoid white flour and white bread, but eat whole-multi-grain bread instead. , Get enough sleep and rest to recover from exercise.
Patients with cirrhosis must exercise moderately and regularly to avoid the wasting of muscle tissue, which can occur when the liver becomes damaged.
Exercise is also important if you are overweight to lose more fat and less muscle.
Try to exercise moderately four times a week for at least 30 minutes a day.
Great forms of exercise include brisk walking, cycling, treadmill, swimming, and machines such as recumbent bike, and a seated stepper that works the arms. , Stop use of drugs such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen (such as Motrin or Advil), naproxen (Aleve) and aspirin which are drugs used to treat mild or moderate pain and inflammation
-- but stop using them with your cirrhosis.While they are great for normal/healthy persons for treating the occasional headache, for cirrhosis the normal or larger doses, especially in combination with alcohol, can be toxic to the liver.
Cirrhosis means that your liver is already damaged, so you should avoid NSAIDs as they can cause your liver to fail.Ask your doctor first before taking any NSAID medications (that you might think you need) such as Tylenol (acetaminophen, such as Motrin or Advil), aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen (Aleve) and any other pain medications.
If you are not certain that a medication is safe for you to take, make a quick call to your doctor to make sure is warranted.
Failing to do so could be deadly, so it is better to be safe. , Take friends and family up on their offers of any help and let them know what would be needed.
Cirrhosis can be exhausting, so if someone agrees to do grocery shopping, wash a load of laundry or cook your dinner certain days per week accept their help., Strong relationships can help you have a positive attitude.
If friends or family don't understand your illness, you may find a support group can be helpful.
Ask doctors, nurses, hospitals about support/rehab, etc.
About the Author
Anthony Roberts
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow hobbies tutorials.
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