How can doctors manage liver cirrhosis?
Cirrhosis is irreversible, so the doctor aims:
- To slow further damage of your liver
- Prevent and treat symptoms
- Prevent and treat complications
General treatment:
- Live healthily, and eat a nutritious diet low in sodium.
- Avoid alcohol intake.
- Ask your health provider before taking any drug.
Treatment of complications:
- Endoscopic band ligation and sclerotherapy treat oesophageal varices.
- Lactulose decreases ammonia in the blood and treats confusion.
- Norepinephrine and albumin infusion help in the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome.
- Chemoembolization and radioembolization treat cancer.
Specific treatment:
- Interferon-alpha treats viral hepatitis.
- Diuretics treat swelling and fluid collection.
- Antibiotics treat severe infections with ascites.
- Corticosteroids treat autoimmune hepatitis.
- Copper chelator treats Wilson’s disease.
- In advanced cases, you may need a liver transplant.
