Answer:
In the earliest stage of liver disease, the liver becomes inflamed. The patient may not even be aware of the inflammation but left untreated, the inflammation will begin to scar, compromising the function of the liver. Liver inflammation and scarring (also known as a fibrosis) can be reversed with proper treatment. Without proper treatment, the damaged liver will progress to cirrhosis.
Common symptoms of cirrhosis include:
Loss of appetite
Weakness
Fatigue
Nausea/Vomiting
Abdominal pain/bloating
Itching
Once a patient is diagnosed with cirrhosis, it can no longer be cured. The focus of treatment changes to stopping the condition from worsening and slowing the disease progression. If the illness worsens to the point of end-stage liver disease, the patient will experience symptoms that include:
Jaundice – yellowing of the skin and eyes caused when the liver is not able to rid the body of bilirubin.
Increased risk of internal bleeding – patients may have black stool from internal bleeding or they may vomit blood.
Buildup of fluid in the abdomen – caused by high pressure in the liver’s veins, fluid will leak into the abdomen and legs.
Confusion – reduced brain function due to high levels of toxic substances in the body that the compromised liver can no longer process.
