Liver cirrhosis is one of the common liver diseases in adults, especially those who excessively drink alcohol. It condition involves liver tissue scarring, which reduces the overall functioning of the bile-secreting organ. The following are the causes, signs and symptoms, and home remedies for liver cirrhosis.
Causes
Liver cirrhosis presents various causes. According to Medical News Today, the condition may be due to alcohol consumption, fatty liver disease, as well as viral hepatitis B and C. These conditions lead to tissue scarring, which replace the normal and healthy tissues over a long time period. As per Web MD, alcoholism increases fat deposits and inflammation in the liver. Then, viral hepatitis itself is also an inflammation of the liver; a case in point is hepatitis B, which can be acquired through needle sticks, needle sharing, blood transfusion, and sexual intercourse. Meanwhile, fatty liver can also result from being overweight, diabetes, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome.
Signs and Symptoms
Liver cirrhosis presents several symptoms. According to Medicine Net, these include jaundice or yellowing of the skin due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood (bilirubin is an orange-yellow pigment and waste product that should be excreted from the body), fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, pruritus or itching, and easy bruising due to decreased blood clotting factors production by secondary to liver damage. As per the publication, a person with liver cirrhosis may also develop signs and symptoms of the disease complications like edema from ascitis, board-like abdomen from peritonitis, altered levels of consciousness and sensorium from hepatic encephalopathy, and bleeding from varices, among others.
Home Remedies
While treatment regimen for liver cirrhosis include programs for alcohol addiction, weight loss, medications for hepatitis management, and other measures to control other signs and symptoms of cirrhosis, home remedies can also be applied to manage the condition.
Milk Thistle
One remedy for liver cirrhosis is milk thistle. As per Top 10 Home Remedies, milk thistle protects the organ from further damage. According to the publication, milk thistle contains silibinin, which has potent antioxidant properties, as well as detoxifying and hepatoprotective properties. Previous studies support its efficacy, suggesting that it can help people with alcohol-related liver disease; however, more efforts are yet to be done. Milk thistle as supplement is available in tincture, capsule, and liquid extract preparations and the person should consult his physician to verify if it can be taken, as well as the proper dosage. Also, this remedy is not suitable for people with hormone-related conditions, variceal bleeding, and ascites.
Black Seed Oil
Black seed oil serves as another remedy for liver cirrhosis. According to study published in the “European Review for Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences,” as cited by Dr. Axe’s official website, black seed oil can inhibit the action of liver oxidative stress indicators. As per the publication, the researchers found that the oil was able to manage complications and progress of fatty liver disease.
Diet – Low Sodium
Another remedy for liver cirrhosis is a low sodium diet. The rationale is the fluid accumulation in the body, as evidenced by edema and abdominal swelling. According to Home Remedies for You, this means a person with liver cirrhosis should not eat foods rich in sodium, such as junk foods, canned goods, and other processed foods. Also, it would be helpful to check the nutritional value of packaged products before purchase and in terms of seasoning, various herbs can be used for added taste aside from soy sauce, ketchup, and salt.
Liver cirrhosis is one of the digestive disorders in humans and its progress support deterioration of a person’s health over times. Thus, it is best to seek medical consult from the doctor for adequate assessment, planning, intervention, education, and evaluation.
