Early Symptoms of Cirrhosis
Disease description:
My father-in-law has developed jaundice, and we are unsure whether this might be an early symptom of cirrhosis. Could you please tell us what the early symptoms of cirrhosis are?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Gao Jun
Early symptoms of cirrhosis include indigestion, fatigue, dull pain in the liver area, jaundice, and spider angiomas.
1. Indigestion: In the early stages of cirrhosis, liver function may decline, resulting in reduced bile secretion, which affects the digestion and absorption of fats.
2. Fatigue: Decreased liver synthetic function leads to insufficient energy production in the body, causing muscles and nerve cells to lack adequate nutrients, thus causing feelings of fatigue and tiredness.
3. Dull pain in the liver area: When the liver becomes cirrhotic, the liver tissue deforms and stretches the liver capsule, causing mild pain or discomfort in the liver area.
4. Jaundice: After liver cells are damaged, bilirubin metabolism becomes impaired, leading to elevated bilirubin levels in the blood. This causes jaundice symptoms such as yellowing of the skin and sclera.
5. Spider angiomas: In cirrhosis, the liver's ability to inactivate estrogen weakens, leading to elevated estrogen levels in the body, which causes dilation of terminal branches of small arteries, forming spider angiomas.
Patients with cirrhosis should strictly abstain from alcohol in daily life to avoid further liver damage from alcohol, and should also pay attention to dietary adjustments and maintaining a positive mood.
