Liver cirrhosis is a disease that can remain silent for many years, so it is important to know and spot the early symptoms, which are often not specific.
- Liver cirrhosis can remain silent for several years, that is, cause no pain or symptoms.
- About a third of people never develop symptoms, according to the MSD Manual.
- When the disease worsens, the symptoms are more worrying: jaundice, bloody vomit, blood in the stools, etc.
In France, 200,000 people are affected by cirrhosis, according to the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). It is a serious liver disease characterized by irreversible liver damage. Once a patient is affected, it is always permanent.
Cirrhosis: general symptoms delaying diagnosis
Liver cirrhosis can progress or remain stable, especially if it is treated early. But the pathology is often diagnosed late, because it is silent. Which means that it does not cause pain or specific symptoms. Indeed, according to the MSD Manual“about a third of people never develop symptoms”.
Patients who develop them begin with nonspecific symptoms, which can also delay diagnosis. It’s about :
- muscle cramps;
- fatigue;
- loss of weight and/or appetite;
- nausea and/or vomiting;
- a feeling of general malaise.
If you suffer from one or more of these symptoms, see your GP to discuss them.
Signs that liver cirrhosis is progressing
The risk, if cirrhosis is not detected early, is that the disease will progress and worsen. In this case, according to health insuranceother symptoms appear:
- bloody vomiting;
- blood in the stools or, on the contrary, very clear, large, soft and very odorous stools;
- a dilated abdomen;
- jaundice: the color of the whites of the eyes and the skin have a yellowish tint. Additionally, the urine is dark;
- A hippocraticism digital: this is a enlargement of the tips of the fingers or toes. Additionally, the angle at the base of the nail is changed;
- a rash: small pimples or large patches whose color can range from red to purple;
- itches ;
- fat bumps on the body or more particularly on the eyelids.
If the cirrhosis is due to excessive alcohol consumption or if the person has a chronic liver disorder, he or she may also develop other symptoms such as muscle atrophy, shrinkage of the tendons of the hand, reddening of the palms of the hands , small blood vessels in the shape of a spider’s web on the skin, an enlargement of the salivary glands in the cheeks or, for men, a reduction in the volume of the testicles.
When these specific symptoms are present, you should urgently consult your doctor. If he suspects cirrhosis, he will refer you to a hepato-gastroenterologist who, with a biopsy of liver cells, will establish the diagnosis.