In the later stages of cirrhosis, you may vomit blood or have tarry, black stools. This is because blood can't flow through the liver properly, which causes an increase in blood pressure in the vein that carries blood from the gut to the liver (portal vein).
Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver caused by continuous, long-term liver damage.
Scar tissue replaces healthy tissue in the liver and prevents the liver from working properly.
The damage caused by cirrhosis can't be reversed and can eventually become so extensive that your liver stops functioning. This is called liver failure.
Cirrhosis can be fatal if the liver fails. However, it usually takes years for the condition to reach this stage and treatment can help slow its progression.
Each year in the UK, around 4,000 people die from cirrhosis and 700 people with the condition need a liver transplant to survive.
Signs and symptoms
There are usually few symptoms in the early stages of cirrhosis. However, as your liver loses its ability to function properly, you're likely to experience a loss of appetite, nausea and itchy skin.
In the later stages, symptoms can include jaundice, vomiting blood, dark, tarry-looking stools, and a build-up of fluid in the legs (oedema) and abdomen (ascites).
When to see your GP
As cirrhosis doesn't have many obvious symptoms during the early stages, it's often picked up during tests for an unrelated illness.
See your GP if you have any of the following symptoms:
fever and shivering
shortness of breath
vomiting blood
very dark or black, tarry stools (faeces)
periods of confusion or drowsiness
What causes cirrhosis?
In the UK, the most common causes of cirrhosis are:
drinking too much alcohol (alcohol misuse) over many years
being infected with the hepatitis C virus for a long time
a condition called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that causes excess fat to build up in the liver
NASH is on the rise in the UK, due to increasing levels of obesity and reduced physical activity. It's likely that it will overtake alcohol and hepatitis C as the most common cause of cirrhosis.
Less common causes of cirrhosis include hepatitis B infection and inherited liver diseases, such as haemochromatosis.
Treating cirrhosis
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.
You may be advised to cut down or stop drinking alcohol, or to lose weight if you're overweight. A wide range of alcohol support services are available.
In its more advanced stages, the scarring caused by cirrhosis can make your liver stop functioning. In this case, a liver transplant is the only treatment option.
Preventing cirrhosis
Not exceeding the recommended limits for alcohol consumption is the best way of preventing alcohol-related cirrhosis.
men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
spread your drinking over 3 days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week
Hepatitis B and C are infections you can get by having unprotected sex or sharing needles to inject drugs. Using a condom during sex and not injecting drugs will reduce your risk of developing hepatitis B and C.
A vaccine for hepatitis B is available, but there's currently no vaccine for hepatitis C.
Read more about preventing cirrhosis.
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Instead of nutrients fueling your body, some of them, including fat, can be passed in your stools. If you have a condition that makes it difficult to digest fat, you may also develop fatty stools or fecal fat. When this happens, you may experience digestive issues such as pain, gas, or diarrhea.
The last stage of digestion is excretion. When you have bowel movements, you are removing all the material from food that your body couldn't use. Typically, your body has already removed essential nutrients, absorbed them during the digestive process, and is ready to excrete the rest. There are multiple organs that are part of the process, including your stomach, intestines, liver, and pancreas.
If one of your digestive organs has a problem, it can disrupt the digestive process. You may develop a condition in which your body doesn't get all the nutrients out of your food. Instead of nutrients fueling your body, some of them, including fat, can be passed in your stools.
If you have a condition that makes it difficult to digest fat, you may also develop fatty stools or fecal fat. When this happens, you may experience digestive issues such as pain, gas, or diarrhea. Your doctor will need to do tests to figure out what is causing your fatty stools.
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