If cirrhosis progresses and your liver is severely damaged, a liver transplant may be the only treatment option. This is a major operation that involves removing your diseased liver and replacing it with a healthy liver from a donor.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Although scarring from liver disease causes permanent damage, it's still possible to live a long life. Depending on the underlying cause, it's possible to slow or stop cirrhosis from worsening. Many of the causes and complications that lead to cirrhosis are treatable or manageable.
In the past, liver cirrhosis was considered an irreversible phenomenon. However, many experimental data have provided evidence of the reversibility of liver fibrosis. Moreover, multiple clinical studies have also shown regression of fibrosis and reversal of cirrhosis on repeated biopsy samples.
People with cirrhosis of the liver have a life expectancy of between two and 12 years. If you have early-stage cirrhosis, treatment and lifestyle changes can help you live longer. People with advanced cirrhosis of the liver have a much shorter life expectancy.
There's currently no cure for cirrhosis. However, it's possible to manage the symptoms and any complications, and slow its progression. Treating underlying conditions that may be the cause, such as using anti-viral medication to treat a hepatitis C infection, can also stop cirrhosis getting worse.
Healing can begin as early as a few days to weeks after you stop drinking, but if the damage is severe, healing can take several months. In some cases, “if the damage to the liver has been long-term, it may not be reversible,” warns Dr. Stein.
The liver damage caused by cirrhosis generally can't be undone. But if liver cirrhosis is diagnosed early and the underlying cause is treated, further damage can be limited. In rare cases, it may be reversed.
Most patients with cirrhosis do not need to limit fluid intake, unless your sodium level is less than 130 mmol/L. Ask your hepatologist (U of L liver specialist) whether you need to watch your fluid intake. Choosing the right foods when eating a high-protein diet is important for maximum effectiveness.
Dairy: Full-fat dairy products will likely be too hard for your body to digest. Stick to low-fat Greek yogurt, small portions of low-sodium hard cheese, and fortified dairy-free milk alternatives like almond or soy. Rich, milk-based desserts like pudding, custard, and ice cream should be limited.
Many citrus fruits, including lemon, can be added to water to help stimulate and flush out the liver. To help improve liver function, enjoy 4-6 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with water each day.
drinking too much alcohol over many years. being infected with hepatitis for a long time, particularly hepatitis B or hepatitis C. a severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, where the liver becomes inflamed from a build-up of excess fat.
You should notice your general health and well-being improving when your liver starts to heal. For example, you may notice clearer thinking, more energy, improved appetite, and less pain.
It takes upwards of ten years for alcohol-related liver disease to progress from fatty liver through fibrosis to cirrhosis to acute on chronic liver failure. This process is silent and symptom free and can easily be missed in primary care, usually presenting with advanced cirrhosis.
People with cirrhosis in Class A have the best prognosis, with a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years. People with cirrhosis in Class B are still healthy, with a life expectancy of 6 to 10 years. As a result, these people have plenty of time to seek sophisticated therapy alternatives such as a liver transplant.
Cirrhosis is a long-term (chronic) liver disease. The most common causes are hepatitis and other viruses, and alcohol abuse. Other medical problems can also cause it. The damage to the liver usually can't be reversed.
Background. Patients with liver cirrhosis often suffer from complications such as ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, and infections, resulting in impaired quality of life. Frequently, the close relatives of patients also suffer from a lower quality of life in chronic diseases.
Compensated cirrhosis: People with compensated cirrhosis do not show symptoms, while life expectancy is around 9–12 years. A person can remain asymptomatic for years, although 5–7% of those with the condition will develop symptoms every year.
Besides this, coconut water has liver-protective properties, especially in patients with liver damage with no former treatment. Not just antioxidants, coconut water, has equally promising benefits in reducing the high cholesterol markers in the bloodstream.