Stage 1 is inflammation of your liver, caused by your immune system reacting to a foreign substance, like toxins. Chronic inflammation can lead to an enlarged liver. Inflammation can result from fatty liver, hepatitis, and other causes. Stage 2 is liver fibrosis or liver scarring, caused by chronic inflammation.
The cirrhosis is still reversible during this stage, but not enough liver tissue has been damaged to produce obvious symptoms of disease. Patients with stage 1 cirrhosis have a 99% 1-year survival rate.
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.
The liver damage done by cirrhosis generally can't be undone. But if liver cirrhosis is diagnosed early and the cause is treated, further damage can be limited and, rarely, reversed.
When a patient's liver disease reaches cirrhosis, a stage when the liver damage can no longer be reversed, it becomes a terminal diagnosis. Unlike most terminal illnesses, a cure may be available for some patients through a liver transplant.
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.
According to some reports, cirrhosis does not develop below a lifetime alcohol consumption of 100 kg of undiluted alcohol[8]. This amount corresponds to an average daily intake of 30 grams of undiluted alcohol for 10 years.
Liver transplant surgery
In advanced cases of cirrhosis, when the liver ceases to function, a liver transplant may be the only treatment option. A liver transplant is a procedure to replace your liver with a healthy liver from a deceased donor or with part of a liver from a living donor.
When on a liver cirrhosis diet, eat plenty of nutrient-dense, minimally processed ingredients like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Meanwhile, limit alcohol, processed foods, and ingredients high in sodium and unhealthy fats.
Most people with cirrhosis that's found in its early stage can live healthy lives. If you are obese or have diabetes, losing weight and controlling your blood sugar can lessen damage caused by fatty liver disease.
Myth: I might have cirrhosis, but the liver will regenerate and heal itself naturally. Fact: The liver is a highly regenerative organ but only if it's still healthy enough to do so and doesn't have extensive scar tissue. Once cirrhosis is present, your liver's regeneration becomes very limited.
Life expectancy by stage
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.
If you have a more serious form of ARLD – alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis – life-long abstinence is recommended. This is because stopping drinking is the only way to prevent your liver damage getting worse and potentially stop you dying of liver disease.
What should I avoid eating and drinking if I have cirrhosis? You should avoid eating raw or undercooked shellfish, fish, and meat. Bacteria or viruses from these foods may cause severe infections in people with cirrhosis. Your doctor may recommend limiting salt in your diet and limiting your intake of fats or protein.
Severe drinking may require three months to a year to fully regenerate the liver to its original capacity and functionality.
Deaths from hepatic failure, variceal bleeding and infection are common in advanced cirrhosis, and even the rate of sudden unexplained death is increased compared with that in a normal population.
But how much alcohol does it take to cause liver cirrhosis? For cirrhosis to develop in men, a person must drink more than about 3 ounces of alcohol a day for more than 10 years. These 3 ounces include drinking 6 cans of beer, 5 glasses of wine, or 6 shots of liquor.
Do all alcoholics get alcoholic hepatitis and eventually cirrhosis? No. Some alcoholics may suffer seriously from the many physical and psychological symptoms of alcoholism, but escape serious liver damage. Alcoholic cirrhosis is found among alcoholics about 10 to 25 percent of the time.
While cirrhosis is not reversible, there is good evidence that stopping drinking completely improves the outcome for some people. If you have cirrhosis and do not stop drinking, then you are likely to die from liver failure.
Although the overall leading cause of death in patients with cirrhosis is liver-related, the most common causes of mortality in patients with NAFLD cirrhosis is non-hepatic malignancy, cerebrovascular disease, and diabetes.
Cirrhosis Survival Rate
The median survival rate for people with compensated cirrhosis is 9 to 12 years. Median survival times for people with decompensated cirrhosis is two years. However, people in the earlier stages of decompensated cirrhosis typically live longer than those in the later stages.
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.
Some of the diseases that cause cirrhosis can be cured. Treating the underlying causes of cirrhosis may keep your cirrhosis from getting worse and help prevent liver failure. Successful treatment may slowly improve some of your liver scarring.
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.