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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you have cirrhosis, take precautions to limit additional liver damage. For instance:
- Don't drink alcohol. Whether your cirrhosis was caused by chronic alcohol use or another disease, avoid alcohol. Drinking alcohol may cause further liver damage.
- Eat a low-sodium diet. Excess salt can cause your body to retain fluids, worsening swelling in your abdomen and legs. Use herbs for seasoning your food, rather than salt. Choose prepared foods that are low in sodium.
- Choose a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables. People with cirrhosis can experience malnutrition. Combat this with a healthy plant-based diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables. Choose lean protein, such as legumes, poultry or fish. Avoid raw seafood.
- Avoid infections. Cirrhosis makes it more difficult for you to fight off infections. Protect yourself by avoiding people who are sick and washing your hands frequently. Get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B, influenza, and pneumonia.
- Use over-the-counter medications carefully. Liver cirrhosis makes it more difficult for your liver to remove drugs from your system. For this reason, ask your doctor before taking any medications, including nonprescription drugs. In general, avoid aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others). If you have liver damage, your doctor may recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) for pain relief.
References
- Bonis PAL, et al. Patient information: Cirrhosis. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Goldberg E, et al. Overview of the complications, prognosis and management of cirrhosis. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Dec. 16, 2008.
- Cirrhosis basics. American Gastroenterological Association. http://www.gastro.org/frame-templates/print_template.cfm. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Kelso LN. Cirrhosis: Caring for patients with end-stage liver failure. The Nurse Practitioner. 2008;33:24.
- McNally PR, et al. Common GI problems: Volume 3. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/cgp/cgpvol3.asp?mode=print&. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Cirrhosis. American Liver Foundation. http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/cirrhosis/. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Liver health tips. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://www.aasld.org/yourliver/Pages/LiverHealthTips.aspx. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Rambaldi A, et al. S-adenosyl-L-methionine for alcoholic liver disease (review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006:CD002235.
- Seeff LB. Herbal hepatotoxicity. Clinics in Liver Disease. 2007;11:577.
- Tillisch K. Complementary and alternative medicine for gastrointestinal disorders. Clinical Medicine. 2007;7:224.
- Rambaldi A, et al. Milk thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases (review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:CD003620.
