The liver is the largest internal organ of the human body. Toxins entering the human body need to be detoxified and metabolized by the liver, but this does not mean that the liver is indestructible. There are many bad diets and lifestyle habits that will cause damage to the liver. This includes Drinking alcohol, staying up late, etc. In addition, certain infectious viruses can cause chronic liver disease.
For example, our most well-known "hepatitis B" is caused by "hepatitis B virus". If the patient does not treat and control the development of the disease in a timely manner, then "cirrhosis" can also occur in the later period.
Moreover, clinically, it is not just hepatitis B that causes cirrhosis. In fact, many chronic liver diseases can develop into "cirrhosis" in severe stages.
However, due to the impression that Hepatitis B left us too deep, many people heard the "cirrhosis" moment, the first question is:
Is cirrhosis an infectious disease?
First of all, cirrhosis itself is not contagious! It is the result of the development of a variety of chronic liver diseases. Due to the disease, the liver is diffusely damaged, and the liver cells are substantially degenerated and necrotic, which causes the liver to show progressive and fibrous pathological changes. It does not have the characteristics of infection. So it is not an infectious disease;
However, among the types of chronic liver disease that develop into cirrhosis, there may be infectious types, such as "viral hepatitis", that is, common hepatitis B and C hepatitis. The patient develops cirrhosis without treatment for a long time, although it will not Direct transmission to the other party, but the virus will be transmitted to the other party, resulting in the other party becoming a virus carrier or chronic liver disease;
In addition to viral hepatitis, the nature of alcoholic, fatty, and drug-induced cirrhosis has nothing to do with viral infections, so it does not have infectious characteristics. Family members need not worry about infectious problems.
Cirrhosis is a manifestation of liver damage. If not controlled in time, liver damage will not only become more and more serious, but also may become cancerous at a later stage. In addition to cooperating with doctors for active treatment, diet adjustments are also indispensable. It is necessary to pay attention to the following points:
Quit drinking
Alcohol itself is decomposed and metabolized by the liver. When the liver is damaged, the ability to secrete alcohol-decomposing enzymes will be reduced, and alcohol metabolism will be hindered, and the intermediate metabolite acetaldehyde will continue to cause damage to the liver and aggravate the disease.
Therefore, whether it is caused by viral hepatitis or other causes of cirrhosis, alcohol intake should be strictly controlled, and absolute abstinence is necessary.
Avoid strong food
Patients with liver cirrhosis are often accompanied by different degrees of liver and spleen enlargement, portal hypertension and other problems, especially portal hypertension can cause thickening of the blood vessels and thinning of the wall of the stomach. If you eat too hard and indigestible food at this time, It is likely to cause gastrointestinal bleeding, so the diet at this time should be soft and digestible.
Reduce salt intake
Affected by the liver cirrhosis disease, the patient's ability to destroy antidiuretic liver is weakened, resulting in decreased urine output, sodium ions cannot be discharged with urine, and plasma protein will also be reduced, ascites, edema and other symptoms Will find myself.
Therefore, patients with liver cirrhosis should control the intake of salt. For patients without edema or mild edema, the daily salt intake should not exceed 5 grams, and the salt intake should not exceed 1 gram.
Limit the intake of fat and cholesterol
Patients with fatty cirrhosis or biliary cirrhosis should control the intake of foods such as high fat and high cholesterol during treatment, which will increase the metabolic burden of the liver. When hepatic coma occurs, protein intake should be fasted, and light, easily digestible food should be selected under the recommendation of the doctor.
In general, cirrhosis itself is not contagious, but cirrhosis caused by viral hepatitis, the virus may also be transmitted through sex, maternal and child or blood channels, but only to spread the virus, and will not directly cause The emergence of cirrhosis. When the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis is confirmed, the patient should also be actively treated to avoid greater harm.
