Is liver cirrhosis with ascites contagious?

Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 04, 2024
00:00
00:00

Liver cirrhosis in the decompensated stage with ascites present is not inherently contagious. Whether the condition is infectious depends not on the severity of liver function, the degree of liver cirrhosis, or the gravity of ascites, but rather on the underlying cause of the liver cirrhosis. For example, liver cirrhosis caused by alcohol consumption is not contagious. However, if the liver cirrhosis is due to viral hepatitis, such as commonly seen with hepatitis B or C, the condition can be infectious. Therefore, the presence of ascites or liver cirrhosis itself is not an indicator of infectiousness; the crucial factor is whether there is an infectious virus present.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
1min 2sec home-news-image

How long does it take for fatty liver to progress to cirrhosis?

How long does it take for fatty liver to progress to cirrhosis? Fatty liver is generally divided into mild, moderate, and severe fatty liver. If it is mild or moderate fatty liver, it can be reversed through proper exercise and diet control, meaning it can be cured. However, once it progresses to severe fatty liver, it can easily develop into cirrhosis, but the specific time required is about five years. Therefore, once we have fatty liver, it must be taken very seriously. With the improvement of living standards, most people are obese, which means that fatty liver is mostly caused by obesity. In terms of treatment, the focus is mainly on the cause, which is obesity. Patients need to follow a reasonable diet and actively exercise to lose weight. If successful in losing weight, fatty liver can be reversed, and we do not have to worry about fatty liver developing into cirrhosis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yuan Lin Yan
Infectious Disease
1min 12sec home-news-image

Is hepatitis B with liver cirrhosis severe?

Hepatitis B-related cirrhosis is a form of liver cirrhosis caused by the hepatitis B virus, and it is more severe than chronic hepatitis B. However, cirrhosis can be categorized into compensated cirrhosis and decompensated cirrhosis. Decompensated cirrhosis refers to the advanced stages of cirrhosis, characterized by significant hardening of the liver, and complications such as ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and gastrointestinal bleeding may occur. This type of cirrhosis is severe and has a high mortality rate, and even timely antiviral therapy against hepatitis B cannot effectively delay the progression of the disease. Compensated cirrhosis refers to the early stages of cirrhosis, where complications like ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and gastrointestinal bleeding are not present, making this type of cirrhosis comparatively less severe. With timely antiviral therapy against hepatitis B, the progression of cirrhosis can be delayed.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
45sec home-news-image

Do you need a liver transplant in the early stages of cirrhosis?

In the early stages of cirrhosis, liver transplant is not necessary. Early-stage cirrhosis requires timely and comprehensive auxiliary examinations to determine the cause of the cirrhosis. This includes determining whether it is due to viral hepatitis, cholestatic hepatitis, or drug-induced hepatitis, among others. Once a patient exhibits early signs of cirrhosis, it is crucial to treat the specific cause and symptoms actively, and undertake proactive liver protection treatments. It is also essential to prevent complications associated with cirrhosis, such as esophageal and gastric variceal bleeding, primary liver cancer, hepatorenal syndrome, liver disease, and ascites.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
47sec home-news-image

Is it okay not to remove the spleen for cirrhosis with splenomegaly?

Once cirrhosis patients are found to have splenic hyperfunction, in order to reduce the splenic hyperfunction and its phagocytic destruction of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, the spleen must be dealt with. Traditionally, the treatment plan could involve surgically removing the spleen, also known as splenectomy. However, current treatment plans generally involve interventional methods. After multiple interventional embolizations, the spleen undergoes aseptic necrosis and is absorbed, thus improving the condition of splenic hyperfunction. Therefore, now in cases of cirrhosis with splenic hyperfunction, it is possible to treat without removing the spleen, using interventional methods instead.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
44sec home-news-image

Is the pain obvious in the early stages of cirrhosis?

In the early stages of cirrhosis, the pain is not very obvious. Patients in the early stages of cirrhosis may experience vague discomfort in the upper right abdomen, while others may never experience pain at all. Those in the early stages may also have symptoms such as belching, fatigue, acid reflux, jaundice, and dark urine. Further comprehensive auxiliary examinations are needed, such as liver function tests and abdominal imaging studies. At the same time, it is important to identify the cause of early-stage cirrhosis in patients as soon as possible and adopt appropriate treatment measures based on different causes. For instance, if it is caused by alcohol, then treatment should involve abstaining from alcohol.