Cirrhosis Self Care To Get Your Normal Life Back
Healthful Vitality | 3/12/2025 | Cirrhosis Self Care To Get Your Normal Life Back.
Among the leading causes of death in the world, cirrhosis is listed at number 11 while in it stands at tenth in the US. These statistics prove that cirrhosis of the liver is a serious health condition affecting many people. As an individual, you can manage the condition through cirrhosis self-care and live a long and productive life.
What Is Cirrhosis of the Liver
The liver is a vital organ in the body. Its work includes filtering toxins from the body, storing sugar and nutrients, and making enzymes that aid in food digestion.
As it performs its functions sometimes the liver gets hurt and has to repair itself forming scar tissue. Sometimes too much scar tissue forms on the liver impairing its function when one has cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis is when the scar tissue in your liver has replaced the normal tissue and the liver no longer functions properly. It often happens over a long period and in stages. It is caused by various factors including diseases and overconsumption of alcohol.
Can Cirrhosis Be Cured?
Currently, there is no specific cure for liver cirrhosis. There is no medical intervention that can reverse the damage of liver cirrhosis to the liver. When you visit the hospital you will be given treatments that are meant to treat causes of cirrhosis, prevent it, or slow down the process of damaging your liver.
Liver cirrhosis self-care is also meant to slow the process of damaging the liver to prevent liver failure so you can live a healthy life. After you get diagnosed with cirrhosis or after realizing you are at a risk of cirrhosis you will be advised to treat underlying complications to prevent further damage.
There are different stages of liver cirrhosis that you should be aware of when you want to manage the condition. Often when you discover the condition earlier then managing it will be easy and you will be able to live a normal life.
Stages of Liver Cirrhosis
There are two basic liver cirrhosis stages. The stages depend on the functionality of the liver. Upon getting a liver cirrhosis diagnosis the doctor will look at how the liver functions and tell you which stage you are in.
The importance of knowing about these stages is that treatment and liver cirrhosis self-care strategies will often depend on the stage you are in. The stages are compensated and decompensated cirrhosis.
Compensated Cirrhosis
Compensated is usually the initial stage of liver cirrhosis where you may not portray any symptoms. Your liver is still functioning well at this stage since there are enough healthy cells compared to the damaged or unhealthy cells. With proper self-care and treatment, you will stay in this stage for many years of your life.
Many people stay in this stage for many years before advancing to the next stage where they experience symptoms and get a diagnosis. It is essential to consider an early diagnosis so you can better manage the condition.
Decompensated Cirrhosis
At this stage, the cirrhosis has advanced to a point where the liver is no longer functioning well. Many people get diagnosed with cirrhosis while at this stage because they start experiencing other complications.
During the second stage, the liver has experienced too much scarring, and a lot of its cells are damaged. The impact is changes in its functions leading to complications such as:
- Jaundice: yellowing of the skin and eyes since the liver can’t get rid of bilirubin.
- Ascites: fluid build-up in the belly
- Hepatic encephalopathy: a condition which impairs your thinking and makes you fatigued due to too many toxins in your brain.
- Bleeding varices: a condition where your blood vessels enlarge and you experience bleeding. You might have bloody stools or vomiting blood calling for emergency attention.
If left untreated, liver disease can lead to other conditions such as kidney disease, lung disease, and ultimately liver cancer. When cirrhosis advances to cancers then there are higher chances of it becoming fatal. Treating and self-care for cirrhosis is thus crucial from the moment one is diagnosed with cirrhosis.
Can The Liver Heal Itself?
A question that most people ask themselves is how to make the liver healthy again. Well, you will be thrilled to learn that the liver is a very special organ in the body not just for its function but because it’s the only organ with regenerative abilities.
After being damaged the liver can heal itself and regenerate itself. According to scientific studies a liver can be cut and still regrow itself even when 99% of its size is removed. However, its regenerative capacity doesn’t mean that the liver is invincible.
Exposure to many health conditions and alcohol can harm it beyond repair. Exposure to cancer, hepatitis, medication overdoses, alcohol consumption, and fatty liver disease can cause irreversible damage to the liver. Self-care is the only way to help your liver heal and prevent irreversible damage.
Self-Care for Liver Cirrhosis
You have already learned of the many things that could go wrong with the liver. You do not have to wait until you get to the last stage of cirrhosis to start a self-care routine. Moreover, you can be kind to your liver in the following ways:
Watch Out On Alcohol Consumption
You may think that only people who consume too much alcohol are scarring their livers. Nonetheless even consuming a small amount of hard liquor regularly is enough to scar your liver. The best option is to stop alcohol consumption and allow your liver to be healthy.
Watch Out On Toxins
Be sure to watch out for the amount of toxins that get into your body. Remember your liver struggles all the time to get these toxins out of your system. You can watch out for toxins by washing your produce to get rid of chemicals such as pesticides, reading labels on chemicals, and avoiding those with too many toxins.
Prevent Hepatitis
One of the best ways to care for yourself is to prevent hepatitis through vaccination. You can also prevent hepatitis by practicing safe sex since it is spread through blood.
Watch Out For Medications
Many medications are removed from the market due to their impact on the liver. Herbal medicine can also be harsh on the liver causing damage. Watch out for your consumption of these to protect the liver.
Eat Healthy and Exercise
You can help the liver perform its function well through during and exercising. Through proper diet, you will avoid a condition like fatty liver disease hence avoiding damage to the liver. A good diet will also have less toxins and exercising will help the liver to get rid of toxins and regenerate in case of damage.
Diet for Liver Cirrhosis
You might have received a diagnosis for liver cirrhosis but thankfully a liver cirrhosis diet can help you get all the nutrients you need while preventing further damage. A good diet will also prevent further complications and help you live a normal life.
The diet for liver cirrhosis may be different for everyone depending on several factors. However, it’s best to always watch your diet and work with a professional to live a healthy life.
How to Create Your Diet
It’s important to get enough calories and proteins every day. Be sure to get high-quality protein to help maintain your body mass. You should consume 16 to 18 calories each day and 0.45 kg of proteins per body mass in day.
Your priority should be on protein foods where you eat both plant and animal-based proteins. You need a lot of proteins since it helps with maintaining your muscles and preventing muscle loss.
In your diet, you should avoid taking foods that are hard for your liver to process. These foods include junk foods and snacks that have unhealthy fats. Be sure to check food labels for Trans-fat that may be hard to digest and give your liver a lot of work.
A damaged liver may not process fats well since the production of bile is impaired. However, you can enjoy unprocessed fats from fruits such as avocados and nuts in moderation.
Avoid eating undercooked foods or raw foods such as meat, eggs, and fish since they may cause food-borne illness. When the liver is not functioning properly you will be at a high risk of getting food-borne illnesses.
You might have to avoid sodium to prevent fluid build-up in your stomach. Depending on the stage of cirrhosis you should always consult a nutritionist and your doctor for advice on your diet needs.
In summary here are foods you should eat and foods to avoid
What to Eat
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Proteins
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Whole grains
- Heart healthy fats
What to Avoid
- Alcohol
- Salty snacks
- Processed meats
- Unhealthy fats
- Undercooked foods
- Highly processed foods like fast foods
Of course, you can live a healthy and normal life with cirrhosis. All you have to do is to practice self-care for liver cirrhosis. You should start by getting a diagnosis and making major lifestyle changes such as incorporating exercises into your routine.
Your body will always respond to how you treat it. If you treat it well by making good choices in self-care then your health will improve significantly. Start today with practicing liver cirrhosis self-care.
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