Cirrhosis facts for kids

Cirrhosis is a serious condition where your liver gets damaged over a long time. This damage makes it hard for your liver to work properly. The most common reasons for cirrhosis include drinking too much alcohol, and certain infections like hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Sometimes, it's also caused by a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Usually, it takes many years of heavy alcohol use for alcoholic cirrhosis to happen. Doctors find out if someone has cirrhosis using blood tests, special scans, and sometimes by taking a small sample of the liver (called a biopsy).

You can prevent some types of cirrhosis, like hepatitis B, with a vaccine. If the liver is very badly damaged, a liver transplant might be needed. In 2015, about 2.8 million people had cirrhosis, and it caused 1.3 million deaths worldwide. Many of these deaths were due to alcohol, hepatitis C, or hepatitis B. The first known description of cirrhosis was by a famous ancient Greek doctor named Hippocrates over 2,000 years ago.

What are the Signs of Cirrhosis?

Cirrhosis can show up in many ways, but it often develops slowly. You might not notice any signs until the liver damage is quite serious. Early signs can include feeling weak and losing weight without trying.

What Causes Cirrhosis?

Many things can cause liver cirrhosis. Sometimes, a person might have more than one cause. Around the world, more than half of all cirrhosis cases are due to hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Drinking too much alcohol is another major cause.

When you have cirrhosis, normal liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue. This scar tissue blocks the normal flow of blood through the liver. This can raise blood pressure in the liver and stop it from working correctly. Once scar tissue forms, it usually cannot be reversed.

How Doctors See Liver Damage

Doctors often use a special type of scan called an ultrasound to check for cirrhosis. This helps them see the liver and how it is working.

How Can You Prevent Cirrhosis?

There are important ways to help prevent cirrhosis:

• Limit alcohol: It's important to drink alcohol responsibly or not at all. This can be helped by public health campaigns and personal advice.
• Prevent infections: Programs that help stop the spread of viral hepatitis are very important.
• Check family history: If liver diseases run in your family, doctors might suggest screening to check for problems early.

How is Cirrhosis Treated?

Generally, the damage to the liver from cirrhosis cannot be undone. However, treatment can stop or slow down the damage from getting worse. It can also help manage any problems that come from cirrhosis. Eating a healthy diet is important because cirrhosis can use up a lot of energy. People with cirrhosis often need regular check-ups with their doctor.

If cirrhosis is caused by heavy alcohol use, the main treatment is to stop drinking alcohol completely. For cirrhosis caused by hepatitis, doctors use special medicines to treat the different types of hepatitis.

Images for kids

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  Person with cirrhosis and associated pain in the right upper region of the abdomen

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  Hepatitis C viral particles and the liver

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  Caudate lobe hypertrophy on ultrasound due to cirrhosis

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  Hepatofugal (non-forward) flow in portal vein

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  Liver cirrhosis on CT imaging of the abdomen in transverse view

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  Trichrome stain, showing cirrhosis as a nodular texture surrounded by fibrosis (wherein collagen is stained blue).

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  Pale macronodules of cirrhosis.

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  High magnification micrograph of a liver with cirrhosis.

See also

In Spanish: Cirrosis hepática para niños