what is end-stage liver disease?. In the early stages of liver disease, the liver becomes inflamed. 

what is end-stage liver disease? | causes?

Patients and families often ask, "What is chronic liver disease?" It is a good question given that end-stage liver disease is a term that encompasses many different conditions affecting the liver. These include non-alcoholic liver disease, liver cancer, alcohol-related liver disease, hepatitis B or C and other diseases, infections, and diseases affecting the liver and bile ducts. When a patient's liver disease reaches cirrhosis, a stage in which the liver damage can no longer be reversed, it becomes a chronic diagnosis.

Unlike many deadly diseases, the cure can be found in some patients through liver transplants. While liver transplants for eligible patients have a high success rate, the waiting list is long. Unfortunately, due to fitness requirements and long waits, only a fraction of patients with liver disease will receive transplants. Aside from these disappointing news, there is still support available to manage symptoms and manage pain in patients with chronic liver disease.

symptoms of chronic liver disease

Symptoms of Chronic Liver Disease

In the early stages of liver disease, the liver becomes inflamed. The patient may not even know the inflammation, but if left untreated, the inflammation will begin to rot, disrupting the function of the liver. Inflammation of the liver and scar (also known as fibrosis) can be reversed with appropriate treatment. Without proper treatment, the damaged liver will progress to cirrhosis.

Common symptoms of cirrhosis include:

Loss of appetite

Weaknesses

Fatigue

Nausea / Vomiting

Abdominal pain / constipation

Itching

Once a patient is diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, he or she can no longer be treated. Treatment focuses on preventing the condition from getting worse and reducing the progression of the disease. If the disease progresses to the point of liver disease, the patient will experience symptoms that include:

Jaundice - yellowing of the skin and eyes caused when the liver is unable to clear the body of bilirubin.

Increased risk of internal bleeding - patients may have a dark cell in internal bleeding or may be bleeding.

Stomach fluid buildup - caused by high pressure on the arteries of the liver, the fluid will leak into the abdomen and legs.