How many live with a diseased liver. Creating Conditions for Liver Recovery

What is the life expectancy for cirrhosis of the liver? Repeatedly, doctors are faced with a situation where a seriously ill patient with almost no chance of survival suddenly begins to recover. But that doesn't happen with everyone.

First of all, people who depend on alcohol or drugs should think about the consequences. With the rapid development of symptoms dangerous disease they won't have long to live. Although it is impossible to answer the question unambiguously. Many factors may be decisive.

With such serious illness liver cells are replaced by fibrous tissue. If the process is not stopped in time, the organ will continue to deteriorate until death occurs. But in many cases, the process can be delayed. The functions of the dead cells will be taken over by the remaining hepatocytes (liver cells).

The question arises: how long do they live with cirrhosis of the liver, if the diagnosis is carried out in a timely manner? Of course, the forecast will still turn out to be disappointing, because the process, unfortunately, is irreversible. But it is worth remembering that every organism with similar ailment copes in his own way.

Life expectancy with cirrhosis of the liver is influenced, as medical practice shows, by some factors.

The patient must understand how serious the disease is and what he will have to deal with.

The development of the disease depends on:

the severity of the disease;
complications;
causes of illness;
age and gender of the patient;
compliance proper diet;
medical measures;
associated ailments and the general condition of the patient.

To understand
how many people live with cirrhosis of the liver, attention should be paid to each factor.

But whatever the situation, a person, first of all, must have a desire to fight for his health.

Characteristics of severity

Cirrhosis is classified according to severity:

compensated;
subcompensated;
decompensated.

The compensation stage is characterized by the preservation enough hepatocytes, which can perform both their functions and the functions of cells that have already died.

The patient is given a completely comforting prognosis: usually with a similar stage, you can live for 6-7 years.

The main thing is what the secondary factors will be, and how the disease will behave. Considering that a person dies from destruction of an organ, in this case, the prognosis is good.

With the development of the degree of subcompensation, the reserves of hepatocytes rapidly decrease, so the organ no longer functions normally. The second stage of destruction is accompanied by tangible signs: nausea, weight loss, heaviness in the right hypochondrium. The prognosis for a subcompensated form is no more than five years.

If it comes last stage, the patient's condition becomes extremely severe due to complications. With the development of the degree of decompensation of living cells in the liver, almost no remains. A person can live very little - no more than three years.

To save the patient, doctors make the only attempt - a transplant donor organ. Thanks to transplantation, people with the disease of the last degree of severity will live longer.

For the operation, the liver is taken from the person who died. But some part of the organ can be taken from someone who is a relative of the patient.

Transplantation can be carried out if:

Severe disease.
Bleeding in the stomach.
dropsy of the abdomen (ascites).
Downgraded albumin protein in the blood.

Since the last stage is always a real threat to life, transplantation will allow the patient to live for many more years.

What are the dangers of complications?

To make a further prognosis of the disease, one should take into account the nature of the complications that have appeared. That is, it says:

internal bleeding in the esophagus or intestines;
accumulation of fluid in the abdomen (ascites);
hepatic encephalopathy;
liver failure;
decrease in the level of blood flow;
hemorrhoidal manifestations.

The danger of internal bleeding is that a person often dies from blood loss in the intestines or esophagus. The mortality prognosis in this case is quite high.

Dropsy of the abdomen may occur due to:

lymph formation in the liver in large numbers;
increased permeability of the liver vessels;
high pressure in the vessels of the affected organ;
kidney problems.

With dropsy, the abdomen increases and becomes saggy, hernias appear (umbilical, inguinal, femoral). If you tap on the stomach, the sound will be dull.

Only after studying the anamnesis and a detailed examination, the doctor can puncture the fluid. But similar procedure needed only when there are prerequisites for the development of cancer.

If the condition is complicated by ascites, the person will not live even three years. The prognosis is so frightening because ascites itself can lead to complications.

The sign indicating the presence of hepatic encephalopathy is very severe. And the prognosis will depend directly on the stage. The more difficult the situation, the less years life is given to the patient. You can live with encephalopathy for two years.

The most serious and dangerous stage is hepatic coma, which occurs due to progressive encephalopathy.

If a person suffers from fever, drowsiness, sudden mood swings, disorientation in time, impaired coordination of movements, then a coma will soon come. While in a coma, the patient may die. If he does not react to light, the pupils are dilated and the sphincters are paralyzed, doctors state death as a result of respiratory arrest.

In what cases do patients have a chance to live longer?

Those patients who are diagnosed with compensated or subcompensated cirrhosis can live with proper treatment for 20 years. It is important not to self-prescribe medications. This right belongs only to the doctor.

If the body has suffered viral hepatitis, cirrhosis can be avoided.

It is important to follow a strict diet, give up alcohol and take drugs that help restore liver cells.

It is especially necessary to monitor small patients who have hepatitis. If you properly take care of their health, a serious illness will not occur.

It is impossible to completely cure the liver, but with timely diagnosis and carrying out the necessary therapeutic measures, it is quite possible to stop the process of destruction. Not a single doctor can accurately answer the question “how many live with cirrhosis of the liver”, because. this process depends on many related factors.

What affects life expectancy

The mortality rate from liver cirrhosis is quite high - almost 50% of patients diagnosed with cirrhosis die within the next 5 years. But in medical practice there are cases when patients (when certain factors are combined) live 10 or more years.

Life expectancy with cirrhosis of the liver depends on:

Degrees of the disease (stages of cirrhosis);
The presence of complications and the severity of their course;
Causes of cirrhosis;
Age and gender of the patient;
Dieting and general rules treatment of cirrhosis;
The correctness of the ongoing therapeutic measures;
Availability concomitant diseases and general condition of the patient.

Consider how many years a person can live with cirrhosis with each of the listed factors.

Significantly worsen the prognosis for cirrhosis comorbidities

Stages of cirrhosis and complications of the disease

Liver cirrhosis is classified depending on the complexity of the course of the disease. Allocate next steps diseases:

compensated cirrhosis. At this degree of the disease, most of the hepatocytes are preserved, i.e. tissues can not only function normally, but also partially replace already dead cells. How many years a person can live in this case depends on secondary factors, but compensated cirrhosis has a good prognosis - most patients live up to 7 years.
subcompensation stage. The resources of hepatocytes are severely depleted, which hinders normal operation liver. Symptoms of the disease appear more clearly (severe weight loss, persistent nausea, a feeling of discomfort in the upper abdomen), the prognosis of life is up to 5 years.
stage of decompensation. Developing liver failure, the liver practically ceases to work. The prognosis is extremely unfavorable - the patient can live less than 3 years (in 10-30% of all cases). At this stage, the treatment does not bring a tangible result, but only brings relief to the patient, the situation can be saved only with the help of transplantation (liver transplant).
Terminal stage. It is characterized by the development of complications, which often lead to death. The last stage of cirrhosis makes it possible to live less than one year.

How long they live with cirrhosis of the liver largely depends on the presence and development of complications associated with the disease.

Possible complications:

(dropsy, characterized by an increase in the abdomen and its sagging).
Bleeding of the esophagus (venous bleeding).
Liver failure.
Hemorrhoidal shifts.
Decreased blood flow.
Hepatic.

Important! The most common cause of death in cirrhosis is internal bleeding. About 40% of all patients die precisely because of gastrointestinal or venous bleeding in cirrhosis.

With cirrhosis complicated by ascites, you can live no more than three years, but only 20-25% of all patients survive to this period.

With hepatic encephalopathy, the mortality rate reaches 100%, provided that the complication has reached grade 3-4. People with a similar diagnosis live less than a year.

Prognosis of cirrhosis of the liver

Life expectancy in cirrhosis depends not only on the severity of the disease. With compensated and subcompensated cirrhosis, the prognosis may be unfavorable if the diagnosis is aggravated by the presence of concomitant factors.

Causes of cirrhosis and its mortality

The most favorable prognosis is observed with alcoholic and biliary cirrhosis. If a person with alcoholic cirrhosis completely excludes alcohol, he can live five years or more. With biliary cirrhosis, if treatment is started immediately after the first symptoms are detected, you can live 5-6 years.

The worst prognosis for the course of the disease is made if the cause of cirrhosis is drug use and chronic alcoholism. With concomitant weakening and general deterioration of the condition, the symptoms of decompensation are rapidly increasing, and under such a combination of circumstances, you can live only 2-3 years.

The most severe types of cirrhosis in terms of etiology are viral and a combination of viral and alcoholic cirrhosis. This disease progresses very quickly, and death occurs within a year.

General data on mortality from cirrhosis (without dividing it into types) state a life expectancy of 3-5 years after the first signs of the disease are detected.

Effect of age and sex on mortality

In elderly patients, the prognosis of cirrhosis is much worse than in young people. Usually in older people pathological process there is already long time, "overgrowing" with accompanying complications, and it is quite difficult to cure it.

IN young age deaths are less common, but if the process is not diagnosed on time and the patient does not follow the principles of treatment, the mortality rate increases significantly.

In women, life expectancy with cirrhosis of the liver is less than in men, if diagnosed alcoholic kind diseases.

With cirrhosis of the liver, you can live much longer if you follow all the medical recommendations. This is especially true of changes in the diet, dieting and the complete rejection of alcohol.

With the complete exclusion of alcoholic beverages from the diet, alcoholics can live up to 5 years (in 60% of all cases). People who continue to drink alcohol can live that amount of time only 40% of the time.

Concomitant pathologies (especially oncological diseases) significantly worsen the prognosis for cirrhosis. In the presence of such factors, life expectancy varies from two to three years.

The last degree of cirrhosis does not have a favorable prognosis, but if the disease is detected in the stage of compensation or subcompensation, it is possible to extend the life of the patient even up to 20 years

How to increase life expectancy

After the transfer, carry out therapeutic and preventive measures to prevent cirrhosis.
Strict adherence to a diet and a complete rejection of alcohol can prolong a patient's life by several years.
Proper drinking regimen (use of special mineral waters).
Cannot be assigned self-treatment and take medications without the knowledge of a doctor.
It is necessary to temper the body, protect it from viral and infectious diseases.

A patient with cirrhosis of the liver can live actively for another 3-5 years, and can lie in bed for 7-10 years. Therefore, the treatment and prognosis of the disease largely depends on the desire and attitude of the patient himself.

List of factors that influence the period of life in this disorder

If cirrhosis of the liver is detected, how long do they live with such a diagnosis? It is impossible to give a definite answer to this question. Life expectancy with cirrhosis of the liver depends on:

stages of violation;
consequences of pathology;
etiology of the disease;
gender, age of the patient;
ongoing therapy;
compliance with doctor's prescriptions and diet;
comorbid disorders and general well-being of the patient.

Let's take a closer look at each of the factors.

Life expectancy depending on the stage of pathology

Cirrhosis goes through several stages of development: compensation, subcompensation, decompensation and the terminal stage. How long do people live with cirrhosis of the liver of the 1st degree? At the stage of compensation, intact hepatocytes take on the function of dead cells, and symptoms of the disease are most often absent. The life expectancy of approximately 50% of patients in this situation is 7 years or more.

At the stage of subcompensation, the first signs of a violation appear: functional cells are depleted and die, the work of the organ is disrupted. How long do people live with cirrhosis of the liver of the 2nd degree? At this stage, the life span is not more than 5 years.

At the stage of decompensation, there is an increase connective tissue, the liver practically stops working, the patient's condition worsens greatly. How long do people live with cirrhosis of the liver of the 3rd degree? Only 20-40% of patients live for about 3 years.

The prognosis for terminal is extremely unfavorable. At this stage, dangerous complications develop, the outcome of which is most often fatal. How long do people live with cirrhosis of the liver of the 4th degree? On last step disease life expectancy is less than a year.

Prognosis for the development of complications

With this disease, there are severe complications such as liver failure, encephalopathy, portal hypertension. The greatest danger is internal bleeding, in particular gastrointestinal tract and from the veins of the esophagus. How many live with cirrhosis of the liver when bleeding occurs. In 40-50% of cases, death with this complication occurs within 2-3 years. Internal bleeding is the most common cause of death.

How long do people live with cirrhosis of the liver when dropsy of the abdomen (ascites) occurs? In such a situation, only 25% of patients have a life expectancy of 3 years, most patients die before this period.

If developed, the prognosis is also unfavorable. The duration of the life period depends on the stage of the pathology, but most often many patients do not live even a year after the onset of this complication.

Prognosis of violation depending on the etiology

A relatively favorable prognosis is observed with alcohol and. How long do they live with a liver? In the event that a person completely eliminated the use of alcoholic beverages, his life expectancy can be 5 years or more. With development, the life span is approximately 5-6 years after the onset of the first symptoms.

Viral cirrhosis of the liver is the most severe type this disease, an even more serious situation develops with a combination of cirrhosis of viral and alcoholic etiology. In such cases, the prognosis is extremely unfavorable and death occurs very quickly.

Life expectancy depending on the sex and age of the patient

When such a disorder occurs in old age the prognosis is often poor. With age, the body's defenses weaken and, in addition, there are other pathologies. However, it should be noted that if cirrhosis is detected at a young age, the prognosis can also be unfavorable. Especially if the disease develops against the background of viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse, drug use.

It proceeds in a more severe form, and deaths are more common than. This is because the cells female body more sensitive to ethanol.

Life expectancy in case of violation of doctor's prescriptions

How long do people live with cirrhosis of the liver in violation medical appointments? For successful therapy and a favorable prognosis of this disorder, it is extremely important to strictly follow all medical recommendations.

It is necessary to exclude all provoking factors, first of all, refuse to take alcoholic beverages that have a hepatotoxic effect.

How many live with the exclusion of alcohol? The life expectancy of 60% of patients in this situation is 5 years. With further use of alcohol during this period, only 40% of patients are able to live.

Impact of comorbid disorders

If there are violations of other organs, the prognosis of cirrhosis of the liver worsens significantly. This is especially true for oncological diseases. How long can you live with cirrhosis of the liver in this case? The life span in such a situation depends on the severity of the developed disorder, as a rule, patients live no more than 2-5 years (subject to adequate treatment and proper care).

Life expectancy can be increased!

We found out how many people live with cirrhosis, but it is possible to extend the life span with such a disease. To do this, you need to follow simple recommendations:

In addition, for the successful treatment of this disease, the psycho-emotional mood of the patient himself, as well as the support of relatives and friends, is extremely important.

But with timely diagnosis, the process can be suspended, the remaining hepatocytes can perform the function dead cells. However, mortality from liver cirrhosis is generally quite high: about half of patients die within five years of diagnosis.

How long can you live with cirrhosis of the liver, depends on the following factors:

The severity of the disease
Complications and their severity
Causes of cirrhosis of the liver
Age and gender of the sick person
Dieting, especially avoiding alcohol
Treatment
Concomitant diseases and the general condition of a person with cirrhosis

Let's consider each factor in more detail.

Life expectancy in liver cirrhosis depending on the severity

Cirrhosis of the liver can be compensated, subcompensated and decompensated according to severity. In a state of compensation, the remaining hepatocytes can still perform the functions of dead cells, and, as a rule, there are no manifestations of cirrhosis.

How long they live with such cirrhosis of the liver depends on other factors, but about 50% of all patients live for more than seven years. This is a pretty good indicator.

Subcompensated cirrhosis is characterized by the appearance of the first symptoms: hepatocytes begin to deplete, gradually becoming insufficient for the full functioning of the liver. Life expectancy with cirrhosis of the liver at this stage is about five years.

Cirrhosis of the liver at the stage of decompensation is characterized by the development of complications, serious condition sick person. Only 10-40% of patients live for 3 years. The prognosis in this case is extremely unfavorable.

How long do people live with complicated liver cirrhosis

Cirrhosis of the liver can various complications: portal hypertension and related conditions, liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy and others.

The most formidable of them, often leading to death, are internal bleeding from various organs. Especially dangerous are bleeding from the veins of the esophagus, as well as gastrointestinal.

Mortality from cirrhosis of the liver with esophageal bleeding is about 40%. It is the main cause of death in cirrhosis.

How long can you live with cirrhosis of the liver complicated by ascites? Only 25% of such patients live more than 3 years, the rest die earlier.

A poor prognostic sign is the presence of hepatic encephalopathy. At its different stages, the prognosis is different, but in general, most of these patients die in the next 12 months. The more severe the stage, the higher the mortality from such cirrhosis of the liver.

It is believed that the most favorable is the alcoholic and biliary types of cirrhosis.

With alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, if a sick person refuses alcohol, he can live 7-10 years or more. Although this factor also depends on other reasons.

In the case of biliary cirrhosis, life expectancy is also more than 6 years from the onset of the first symptoms.

The most aggressive is viral cirrhosis, even more severe course characterized by a combination of alcoholic and viral factors. Cirrhosis caused by autoimmune hepatitis also progresses rapidly.

Prognosis depending on the sex and age of the person

In old age, as in the case of other diseases, the prognosis of cirrhosis is worse. In addition, at this age, this pathological process, as a rule, has existed for a long time and goes quite far. However, even at a younger age, if cirrhosis is diagnosed, death can occur. This is especially true of viral hepatitis and their combination with alcohol and drug abuse.

Alcoholic cirrhosis in women has a poorer prognosis than in men. This is associated with a greater sensitivity of cells to the damaging effect of ethanol.

How long do they live with cirrhosis of the liver if the doctor's recommendations are not followed

Very an important factor is how a sick person complies with all medical prescriptions. Significant healing effect has special diet, and especially the rejection of hepatotoxic substances (primarily alcoholic beverages).

If cirrhosis is of an alcoholic nature, this is especially important. With the refusal of alcohol for more than five years, 60% of all patients live. Otherwise, the five-year survival rate is only 40%.

Survival also depends on compliance with other recommendations. When conducting full courses inpatient treatment, regular follow-up medical institution life expectancy increases significantly. In addition, it is necessary to inform your doctor about any changes and deterioration in your condition.

Impact of comorbidities on liver cirrhosis

Certainly, severe pathologies other organs, especially oncological diseases, greatly worsen the prognosis. In this case, how long can you live with cirrhosis of the liver, in to a large extent depends on the severity of other diseases.

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The liver is as vital an organ as the heart or brain. It is she who protects the person from the effects harmful substances. Without this kind of filter, it is impossible to survive. Unfortunately, under the influence of toxins or viruses, the liver can be destroyed. Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver initially develops imperceptibly. With the systematic use of alcohol, necrosis of the most important liver cells of hepatocytes occurs.

Healthy cells compensate for the lack of their "brothers" for some time. However, the more hepatocytes die, the worse the person feels. His skin turns yellow, his urine darkens, his skin becomes covered spider veins, the stomach increases, and in the right hypochondrium it often hurts.

Further, the symptoms only intensify: liver failure increases, encephalopathy, ascites appear, and the risk of internal bleeding increases. Without appropriate treatment, death occurs within a few years. With medical support with such a diagnosis, they live on average 7 years. Cirrhosis of the liver is an incurable disease.

Alcoholism as a cause of liver cirrhosis

Any alcoholic beverages, even low-alcohol ones, contain ethyl alcohol. Once in the body, the latter is quickly absorbed into the blood and then has toxic effect to all human organs and systems. Against the backdrop of euphoria, a rise in mood and strength, a person is not able to feel all the negative consequences.

In fact, drinking alcohol is nothing more than voluntary poisoning. Its symptoms can be felt immediately, as the euphoria subsides - a hangover occurs.

The liver is the main filter human body- tries in every possible way to neutralize dangerous ethyl alcohol. It is in it that the oxidation and transformation of ethanol occurs, first into the toxin acetaldehyde, and then into carbon dioxide and water.

With systematic use large doses alcohol causes irreparable harm to the body. The liver is depleted, its walls are overgrown with fat (fatty hepatosis appears). Following this, hepatocytes begin to die gradually. Once healthy, functioning hepatic lobules become covered with knots of connective tissue. These areas are never restored.

Attention! leading to the development of cirrhosis systematic use alcohol for 10 years or more in doses exceeding 20 or 40–60 g of ethyl alcohol per day for women and men, respectively. You can calculate the amount of ethanol with any alcoholic drink using the following formula:

% about. (eng. -% vol.) x 0.8 = amount of ethyl alcohol in grams per 100 ml.

Features of alcoholic cirrhosis

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is significantly different from any other.

On the one hand, the toxic effect of ethanol impairs the work of other organs - the heart, kidneys, stomach, and brain. Alcoholics are often diagnosed with several diseases at once: alcoholic gastritis, cardiomyopathy, polyneuropathy, chronic pancreatitis, varicose veins veins.

But on the other hand, cirrhosis of the liver with alcoholism is the easiest to treat. If the patient completely refuses alcohol at the 1-2 stage of the disease and begins to be treated, then he has a chance to live another 10-15 years.

Another one salient feature alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver - these are the symptoms. Usually in alcoholics, in addition to the standard yellowing of the skin and pain in the right hypochondrium, ascites develops almost immediately (accumulation free liquid in the peritoneum). This is the result of portal hypertension - high blood pressure in a swimming pool portal vein caused by impaired blood flow in the vessels, varicose veins of the hepatic veins.

Symptoms

As mentioned above, the signs of liver cirrhosis in alcoholics have their own characteristics. Due to the fact that failure occurs in almost all systems and organs, complaints from such a patient enough.

It may have the following:

pain in the heart (there is heart failure);
vomiting with blood (an ulcer, portal hypertension makes itself felt);
limb failure (polyneuropathy);
confusion (this is how hepatic encephalopathy manifests itself).

In other words, the symptoms of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver often occur simultaneously with signs of other concomitant diseases. Let's see how the disease develops.

Indicates the onset of cirrhosis fatigue, weakness, poor appetite, subfebrile body temperature (up to 38), various problems with skin, indigestion after drinking alcohol, eating heavy meals, and discomfort in the right hypochondrium.

Women may not have their periods. Symptoms of liver cirrhosis in men are expressed in a decrease in potency, breast enlargement (gynecomastia).

Specific signs of cirrhosis appear when a large area of the liver is damaged, when functioning hepatocytes can no longer compensate for the disease. From this moment on, liver failure becomes apparent (stage 2-3 of subcompensation). The patient has the following symptoms:

In the last stages (decompensation or liver failure), the patient loses the ability to think logically, consciousness becomes confused, and a clapping hand tremor appears. This is due to the inability of the liver to protect the brain from exposure to harmful substances. Cirrhosis inevitably leads to hepatic coma and death.

Diagnostics

If you suspect alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, you should contact a general practitioner, gastroenterologist or surgeon. There are more narrow specialist- a hepatologist, but you can find him only in large cities.

Let's talk about how cirrhosis is diagnosed. First of all, the doctor asks the patient about complaints and chronic diseases. Then an external examination, palpation of the liver and nearby organs. Also, the patient is assigned a number of examinations and tests:

general and biochemical blood test;
general urine analysis;
coagulogram;
liver biopsy;
computed tomography (CT);
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
fibrogastroduodenoscopy (FGDS).

Already by the results of a biochemical blood test, one can judge the degree of damage to the organ. Particularly important are indicators such as bilirubin, albumin, fibrin, ALT and AST, GGT.

Ultrasound, CT, MRI and FGDS allow you to assess the condition of the liver and esophageal veins visually. The final diagnosis is based on the results histological examination affected area of the liver (biopsy).

There is a special Child-Pugh scale, which allows you to accurately determine the stage of the disease. Only 5 factors are taken into account: the level of bilirubin and albumin in the blood, prothrombin index, the presence of ascites and encephalopathy. The worse these indicators are, the less likely the patient is to favorable outcome illness.

Treatment

The overriding condition improvement of the patient's condition is a complete rejection of alcohol. In case of serious addiction, the patient is sent to the narcological department, where he undergoes detoxification procedures. In the last stages of alcoholism, it is dangerous to get out of binge on your own, it can result in delirium tremens or other complications.

The issue of organ transplantation is being considered. Alcoholic liver cirrhosis in itself is not a contraindication to such an operation. You need to find a suitable donor and not drink alcohol for six months. It is important that other organs are not damaged (especially the heart). Unfortunately, this is rare in chronic alcoholism.

Forecast

Male alcoholism, unlike female, it is rather successfully treated. If you refuse alcohol, the patient has a chance to live with cirrhosis of the liver for about a dozen more years. How many live with him, it is difficult to answer exactly. It all depends on the stage of the disease, the age of the patient, concomitant diseases, as well as compliance with all doctor's prescriptions. The average forecasts are as follows:

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver of the 1st degree (compensated). 50% of patients live 10 years or more.
Cirrhosis of 2-3 degrees (subcompensated). Favorable prognosis for the next 5 years for 40% of patients.
Decompensation stage (liver failure). With such a diagnosis, no more than 40% of patients live for 3 years.
In the presence of ascites, the prognosis worsens: only 25% of patients survive 3 years.
Patients with hepatic encephalopathy live on average 1 year.

To summarize what you need to know about the disease:

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is treatable only if complete failure from alcoholic beverages.
If the patient applies for medical care at the initial stage, then he has every chance to live 10 years or more. How long they live with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, for the most part, depends on the patients themselves. No efforts of doctors will help to improve and prolong life if the patient skips taking medications, does not follow a diet, and does not seek help from specialists if the condition worsens.
In some cases, an organ transplant is possible.

Take care of your health!

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Clinical picture of the disease

Symptoms of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver are not much different from other types of diseases of this organ. On initial stage the course of the disease, the symptoms are insignificant, since healthy cells perform the function of those that have already undergone destruction. The first signs are manifested in the form of weakness, fatigue and drowsiness.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver with the use of strong drinks progresses rapidly, so later pain and shootings in the joints appear. Against this background, contracture develops, which does not allow to fully bend and unbend the limbs. The clinical picture of the disease is manifested in:

changes in the skin;
thinning hair;
appetite disorder.

Due to loss of appetite in the morning, a person experiences abdominal pain, as well as nausea and vomiting. After eating fatty or fried foods, symptoms worsen. Against this background, a person quickly loses weight. This leads to the development of portal hypertension, namely: the expansion of the veins of the esophagus and rectum and the formation of fluid in abdominal cavity. Portal hypertension, as a rule, prevails over signs of hepatocellular insufficiency.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is characterized by an increase in salivary glands which are located near the ears. What are the symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver in women? This pathology appears in violation menstrual cycle. Recognizing the symptoms of liver cirrhosis in men is quite simple. The masculine image becomes effeminate. The patient's body hairiness decreases, mammary glands and fat is deposited in the thighs and abdomen.

The last stage proceeds with complications. Often, pathology leads to the formation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. This process in medical practice is called ascites. Signs of cirrhosis of the liver in alcoholics at this stage are quite simple to determine. A person has an enlarged stomach, which in a standing position has the shape of a ball, and in horizontal position- spreads on the sides.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is manifested by a change in the color of urine and stool. With the progression of the disease, itching, a yellow tint appears skin And eyeballs. These symptoms tend to get worse at night. General state deteriorates sharply. There is also a high chance of bleeding from the stomach or esophagus. The last stage without appropriate therapy is fatal.

Life expectancy without treatment

How long do alcoholics live with cirrhosis of the liver? It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. Many factors influence life expectancy. There is no cure for cirrhosis, because the cells are replaced by fibrous tissue, and this process is irreversible. With timely delivery of the diagnosis, this process can only be suspended.

How long can you live with this disease? Factors affecting life expectancy include:

the severity of the disease;
complications;
root cause;
age and gender of the person;
prescribed therapy;
the presence of comorbidities.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is divided into three stages: compensated, subcompensated and decompensated. At the compensation stage, hepatocytes perform the function of dead cells, therefore Clinical signs are weakly expressed. How many people live with him? According to the data, about 45-50% of people with such a diagnosis live no more than 7-8 years.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver with regular use of alcohol progresses, which leads to the depletion of hepatocytes. In this case, the work of the organ is disrupted and life expectancy is reduced to 5 years. At the decompensated stage, complications develop and the patient's condition worsens. About 15-35% of patients live for 3 years. The more severe the stage, the higher the mortality. This pathology can serious complications: bleeding from the veins of the esophagus or ascites. The more dangerous the complications, the more likely that a person will not live more than a year.

The development of cirrhosis leads to the abuse of strong drinks, therefore, with a complete refusal of a person from alcohol, it is possible to extend life by 10 years or more. Refuse should be from all types of strong drinks, including beer and wine. Despite the fact that this low alcohol drinks, they cause harm to the body is tantamount to strong types of alcohol.

Life expectancy may depend on the age and sex of the person. For people over 50, the prognosis is poor. According to medical statistics, mortality in women from the disease is higher than in men.

An important factor affecting life expectancy is compliance with the doctor's recommendations. Complete treatment and following the recommendations significantly prolong life. If any changes occur, the patient is obliged to inform his attending physician about this so that he can conduct an appropriate examination and adjust the treatment regimen. If the pathology is accompanied by other diseases, then life expectancy depends on their severity. If the leading pathology is oncological disease, the prognosis is poor.

Diagnosis of the disease

In the diagnosis, a significant role is played by the collection of anamnesis and the identification of the duration of alcohol abuse. With alcoholism, the gastroenterologist finds out the amount, type of alcohol consumed and its regularity.

After collecting an anamnesis, the doctor prescribes laboratory research, which includes a general and biochemical blood test. When conducting appropriate tests, there is a decrease in the number of erythrocytes, platelets and an increase in the level of immunoglobulin A. With beer dependence in the blood serum, an increase in the amount of serum iron and transferrin is noted.

With alcoholism, the risk of developing a malignant tumor increases, so the patient is prescribed a blood test for the content of alpha-fetoprotein and triglyceride. If their concentration exceeds the norm, then doctors suggest the presence of cancer.

Diagnostics also includes instrumental examinations. The patient undergoes ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, computed and magnetic resonance imaging, dopplerography, tissue biopsy of the affected organ and radionuclear examination.

On the results of ultrasound, pathological changes in the size and shape of the affected organ are clearly visible. CT and MRI allow you to study the tissue of the inflamed organ and its vascular system. Using Doppler ultrasound, the doctor determines the pressure in the system hepatic vein and detects portal hypertension. Radionuclear scanning allows you to identify changes in the liver lobules, and determine the rate of bile production. For a complete clinical picture doctors do a biopsy.

With the diagnosis of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, treatment is primarily aimed at eliminating the cause, namely, the rejection of strong drinks. If you continue to drink alcohol during the course of therapy, then the prognosis is unfavorable. It is necessary to treat alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver in a complex manner, so doctors prescribe:

medical preparations;
medical diet;
gymnastics.

At the initial stage of the disease, it is effective conservative therapy. The course for each person is individual, so the doctor prescribes medications and their dosage, taking into account the severity of the symptoms and the nature of the course of the pathology.

Drug therapy uses drugs that improve metabolism and stabilize membranes. Also effective is transfusion therapy, which includes blood products and blood substitutes. The last stage in the development of liver failure, ascites and hemorrhagic syndrome also treated with transfusion therapy. If the pathology proceeds along with hepatitis, then the patient is prescribed glucocorticoid hormones.

Relieve the condition and reduce the symptoms will help therapeutic diet. First of all, you should give up alcohol. Fatty, smoked, spicy, pickled dishes, sweets, spices, pastries and soda should also be excluded from the diet. Preference should be given to vegetable soups, cereals, diet varieties meat, fish and fermented milk products. Nutrition must be balanced. Meals should consist of 5-6 meals. Do not eat too hot food.

Is it possible to cure the disease at an advanced stage? In this case, drug therapy is ineffective and doctors use a radical method. When bleeding into the esophagus, the patient is placed a special probe that fills the esophagus with air. In case of recurrence, the dilated veins of the esophagus are sutured.

If it is not possible to restore the functioning of the organ, then the doctors perform its transplantation. Often, a close relative becomes a donor. For 6 months before surgery, you should refrain from strong drinks. Patient after surgical operation should be healthy lifestyle life and give up alcohol, otherwise the organ transplant will not bring the desired result.

Possible Complications

In the absence of timely therapy, the risk of complications increases. At the decompensation stage, blood circulation through the affected organ is disturbed. Against this background, various peritoneals are formed, one of which is varicose veins in the esophagus. There are no special signs. Bleeding for the patient becomes a surprise. With the advent of this complication, the likelihood of death increases.

Due to impaired blood flow, capillaries and blood vessels expand in all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Against the backdrop of these pathological changes microarteriovenous peritoneums are formed, which cause the formation of ulcers, acute erosions on the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum.

Metabolic changes and impaired circulation lead to the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. The manifestation of ascites is also life-threatening for the patient. Fluid in the abdominal cavity in some cases leads to respiratory failure.

At the stage of decompensation, the likelihood of developing bacterial peritonitis, urinary tract infection and pneumonia is high. Infectious complications may lead to liver failure. If timely treatment is not started, the person may fall into a coma.

Cirrhosis of the liver is not a sentence. Subject to the recommendations of the doctor, the prognosis is favorable. Timely therapy prolongs the life of the patient and improves its quality. To avoid complications, regular endoscopic examination of the digestive system should be carried out.

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List of factors that influence the period of life in this disorder

stages of violation;
consequences of pathology;
etiology of the disease;
gender, age of the patient;
ongoing therapy;
compliance with doctor's prescriptions and diet;
comorbid disorders and general well-being of the patient.

Let's take a closer look at each of the factors.

Life expectancy depending on the stage of pathology

At the stage of decompensation, the proliferation of connective tissue is observed, the liver practically stops working, the patient's condition worsens greatly. How long do people live with cirrhosis of the liver of the 3rd degree? Only 20-40% of patients live for about 3 years.

The prognosis for end-stage cirrhosis is extremely unfavorable. At this stage, dangerous complications develop, the outcome of which is most often fatal. How long do people live with cirrhosis of the liver of the 4th degree? At the last stage of the disease, life expectancy is less than a year.

Prognosis for the development of complications

With this disease, severe complications occur, such as liver failure, encephalopathy, portal hypertension. The greatest danger is internal bleeding, in particular the gastrointestinal tract and from the veins of the esophagus. How many live with cirrhosis of the liver when bleeding occurs. In 40-50% of cases, death with this complication occurs within 2-3 years. Internal bleeding is the most common cause of death.

How long do people live with cirrhosis of the liver when dropsy of the abdomen (ascites) occurs? In such a situation, only 25% of patients have a life expectancy of 3 years, most patients die before this period.

If hepatic encephalopathy has developed, the prognosis is also poor. The duration of the life period depends on the stage of the pathology, but most often many patients do not live even a year after the onset of this complication.

Prognosis of violation depending on the etiology

A relatively favorable prognosis is noted for alcoholic and biliary cirrhosis. How long do people live with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver? In the event that a person completely eliminated the use of alcoholic beverages, his life expectancy can be 5 years or more. With the development of biliary cirrhosis, the life span is approximately 5-6 years after the onset of the first symptoms.

Viral cirrhosis of the liver is the most severe type of this disease, an even more serious situation develops with a combination of cirrhosis of viral and alcoholic etiology. In such cases, the prognosis is extremely unfavorable and death occurs very quickly.

Life expectancy depending on the sex and age of the patient

When such a disorder occurs in old age, the prognosis is most often unfavorable. With age, the body's defenses weaken and, in addition, there are other pathologies. However, it should be noted that if cirrhosis is detected at a young age, the prognosis can also be unfavorable. Especially if the disease develops against the background of viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse, drug use.

Cirrhosis is more severe in women and deaths are more common than in men. This is due to the fact that the cells of the female body are more sensitive to ethanol.

Life expectancy in case of violation of doctor's prescriptions

How long do people live with cirrhosis of the liver in violation of medical prescriptions? For successful therapy and a favorable prognosis of this disorder, it is extremely important to strictly follow all medical recommendations.

How many live with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver with the exclusion of alcohol? The life expectancy of 60% of patients in this situation is 5 years. With further use of alcohol during this period, only 40% of patients are able to live.

Impact of comorbid disorders

Life expectancy can be increased!

We found out how many people live with cirrhosis, but it is possible to extend the life span with such a disease. To do this, you need to follow simple recommendations:

In addition, for the successful treatment of this disease, the psycho-emotional mood of the patient himself, as well as the support of relatives and friends, is extremely important.

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Characteristics of this disease

One of the most important organs The human body is the liver, which acts as a filter that cleanses it of various poisons and toxic substances. Liver cells - hepatocytes, have a unique property of regeneration, but with prolonged and strong exposure to harmful substances, they die, and are replaced not by new formations, but by adipose connective tissue.

The effect of alcohol on the liver:

Alcoholic drinks, including beer, contain ethyl alcohol, which is a toxic substance. When it enters the human body, the liver breaks it down into several harmful elements and begins to neutralize them.
If the dose of alcohol is large, then the filter cannot cope with it, and the cells begin to die.
Dead cells are replaced by adipose connective tissue, which prevents the liver from performing its full functions.
If 50-75 percent of hepatocytes in the liver are replaced by connective tissue, then the death of the organism occurs, since this organ can no longer perform its functions.

WITH medical point of view, alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is a disease caused by harmful and prolonged exposure to alcohol on the human body, which destroys hepatocytes and prevents new ones from appearing.

Particular attention should be paid to beer lovers. Many people think that beer is light drink from which there can be no harm to the body. According to latest research, narcologists have revealed a new type of alcoholism - beer. When drinking beer in large quantities, for a long time, alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver also occurs.

It follows from this that all beer lovers, regardless of gender, can get cirrhosis. But it can come from overuse beer. daily rate drinking beer is considered to be about 200 milliliters this drink. Therefore, if you drink little beer, then alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver will not appear.

It is important to know that Russia occupies a leading position in diagnosing this disease. This is due not only to the large consumption of alcoholic beverages, but also to their quality, since a significant part alcoholic products does not meet international standards.

Symptoms of alcoholic cirrhosis

Of course, cirrhosis occurs not only from the abuse of alcoholic beverages. It can be caused by viral hepatitis and other factors. But alcoholic cirrhosis has its own individual signs that indicate this disease.

Symptoms of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver are as follows:

The first signs that will immediately tell you about the presence of this disease are an increase in body temperature up to 38 degrees, pain in the right hypochondrium, nausea and occasional vomiting. When you stop drinking alcohol, they pass, and relief comes. This is typical for a patient with alcoholism, if he consumes alcoholic beverages for a long time. These symptoms occur in the early stages of the disease.
A professional doctor can diagnose this disease superficial examination of a person. In alcoholics, the liver increases in size by early stages disease, and on the latter it decreases, and it is impossible to probe it. Therefore, an enlarged or reduced liver indicates the presence of cirrhosis.

The appearance of icteric coloration of the skin and sclera of the eyes. This indicates that the liver does not perform its functions well, and a lot of insoluble bilirubin appears in the body.
In more severe cases, when the liver is severely affected, the patient can show signs of a “jellyfish”, when his stomach increases sharply in volume, and venous networks begin to appear on its surface. This also indicates that the patient suffers from ascites. Ascites refers to the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.
With advanced cirrhosis, the venous artery, which collects blood from the abdominal organs and passes it through the liver, experiences great pressure, which is transmitted to blood vessels intestines, stomach. As a result, they begin to burst, and internal bleeding opens. Evidence of this is coffee-colored vomit or the presence of scarlet spots in the stool.

In most cases, patients have swelling lower extremities, disproportionate increase in the abdomen, thickening of the extreme phalanges of the fingers. At men goes testicular dystrophy, in women, the mammary glands may increase in volume. But these signs are typical when cirrhosis has already passed the first stage of development, and a more severe form of this disease occurs. Generally, according to appearance human experienced doctor immediately determine the presence of cirrhosis.
In some cases, other symptoms may also appear. For example, the death of liver cells causes brain encephalopathy. Characteristic features this are nervous disorders in the form of sharp aggression, after which sleep suddenly sets in, loss of orientation in space, the patient, in general, does not pay attention to his appearance.

It is important to know that in patients with ascites, in most cases, cirrhosis is detected. Only doctors can determine the cause of the origin of cirrhosis: caused by alcohol or other diseases.

Diagnostics

Timely treatment of this disease depends on correct diagnosis. Medicine has many ways to diagnose this disease.

These methods are divided into several types:

laboratory research;
technical studies;
superficial examinations.

In the first case, patients undergo special tests that can be used to identify liver damage and a disorder in its functioning.

This may include:

a biopsy, in which a piece of the affected organ is taken and examined for the presence of adipose connective tissue in it, as well as the percentage of liver damage, all this happens when monitored by ultrasound;
blood test from a vein, when doctors can detect the presence of various antibodies that indicate inflammatory processes and other adverse changes in the liver.

In the second case, attention is paid to ultrasound and computed tomography. In principle, ultrasound and tomography do not differ in their functions, but if a doctor prescribes both ultrasound and tomography, it means that he wants to earn more bonuses.

Ultrasound is prescribed in any case. With the help of ultrasound, it is possible to identify the affected areas of the liver, as well as to determine at what stage the disease is.

Doctors distinguish between the initial stage, when nodules with a diameter not exceeding 3 millimeters form in the lobes of the liver, and the last stage provides for the presence of larger formations. All this can be perfectly examined with the help of ultrasound and tomography, and a supportive course of treatment can immediately begin.

Superficial inspections also play important role.

Looking at the patient and his appearance, the doctor can immediately determine the presence of cirrhosis, and without waiting for laboratory and technical studies, prescribe the initial therapy that can save the patient from death.

It is important to know that when diagnosing cirrhosis, ultrasound plays an important role, since only with the help of it or its computer substitute - a tomograph, it is possible to detect damage to the liver with adipose and scar tissue, as well as an increase and decrease in its volume.

How to treat this disease

Unfortunately, modern medicine does not know how to treat this ailment, but has all the means to make life easier for the patient and prolong it for a long time.

Treatment of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is as follows:

First of all, it is maintenance therapy, when the patient takes various medical preparations. These include corticosteroids, intravenous glucose with saline and other drugs. Gepabene and similar drugs that support the liver are taken.

The next way is to follow a diet, as well as walks, light exercise. Diet and exercise do not put a lot of stress on the liver, so it does not strain. Physical exercise strengthen the body. When dieting, first of all, it is worth giving up spicy, fatty, high-calorie foods. Light soups, cereals, and other foods offered by a nutritionist are welcome.
Good help folk remedies. These include juices from cabbage, beets, carrots. Decoctions and infusions of various herbs. The only contraindication is the use of alcohol in tinctures.
The last thing that is very important is the refusal of alcohol. It should not be taken even in the smallest quantities, including beer.

If you have any of the above symptoms, then complex treatment it will be possible to live from one to 5 years, depending on the neglect of the disease.

It's important to know that the only way getting rid of cirrhosis is a liver transplant. But for those who suffer from alcoholism, it is not done.

Cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcohol abuse specific symptoms. It can be detected even with an external examination of the patient. It is impossible to cure it, but it is necessary to do maintenance therapy, as it can prolong the patient's life for more than one year.

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What determines the duration of life

Life expectancy in cirrhosis of the liver is clearly related to many causes:

connection with alcoholism and subsequent use of alcohol;
the occurrence of cirrhosis due to previous hepatitis B or C;
compensatory capabilities of the liver and blood vessels;
stage and activity of the disease;
development against the background of atherosclerosis and decompensation of cardiac activity;
conducting regular treatment;
state of immunity, protection against infection.

Medical statistics data

Doctors in practice experience repeated unexplained cases of recovery severe patient. In order to be correct in relation to patients and their relatives, not to refer to miracles, we will present the dry data of medical statistical studies.

The worst prognosis of life is for people with cirrhosis that has developed on the soil chronic alcoholism and addiction. They are given 2–3 years with increasing symptoms of decompensation: ascites, fluid in pleural cavity, acute bleeding. And if patients, despite alcoholic cirrhosis, continue to drink, then no one will undertake to predict how long they will live. Rather, you can be surprised how they live at all, because a sudden death is possible.

Among patients in the decompensated stage with complications, from 60 to 89% die within three years. The figures indicating the course of complications are indicative: if a patient with cirrhosis of the liver suffered bacterial peritonitis and survived, then the prognosis for a repeated complication of the same complication in the first half of the year is about 50%, in a year - 69%, in 2 years - 74%.

Most common causes death at the end of the disease:

acute bleeding from dilated veins of the esophagus;
the last stage of cirrhosis of the liver - kidney failure with hepatic coma.

Mortality in primary bleeding is 30–50%. If patients survive, then rebleeding during the first year of observation is predicted in 70% of patients.

With hepatic coma, almost 100% mortality.

General data for lethal outcomes with cirrhosis of the liver (without division into alcoholic, biliary infectious and other types), they say that patients with this disease live 3–5 years after detection.

If the last stage of liver cirrhosis is complicated malignant tumor, the prognosis worsens.

Under what conditions do patients live longer

Practice shows that when a patient is identified in a subcompensated or compensated stage, it is possible to extend his life up to 20 years.

After the transfer of viral hepatitis should be carried out good treatment without waiting for signs of cirrhosis. Must be observed at all times strict diet with a sufficient content of dairy products and fruits, do not drink alcohol (beer, vodka, cognac are equivalent in terms of harmfulness), treat with drugs that restore liver cells.

This is especially true for the treatment of children with hepatitis, they need to live for many more years, so parents should travel with their children for as long as necessary. Spa treatment. Can arrange mud applications, undergo physiotherapy and in local sanatoriums. But the resorts of Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk are considered to be the best.

The use of mineral water before meals helps the liver to absorb food. How much and in what mode to drink water, you can consult a gastroenterologist. Many patients have comorbidities.

Introduction to Diet linseed oil, vegetable oil milk thistle allows you to adjust the function of bile secretion in biliary cirrhosis, add a few years of life.

A patient in the compensated stage is strictly forbidden to independently make a correction in medical measures, take additional medications without doctor's approval. This should prevent toxic effects on the liver.

It is necessary to protect yourself from any infectious disease (including influenza), treat foci chronic infection in carious teeth, palatine tonsils.

Work associated with pesticides is contraindicated, strong odors, lifting weights.

The life expectancy of a person with cirrhosis of the liver depends on the mood for recovery and the desire of the patient himself. No matter how many years he lives, I want to keep active and clear mind. This requires the support of family and friends.