Thread by @ebtapper

What is #cirrhosis?

This is for patients & anyone who has ever asked:

❓ What is it
❓ Where did it come from?
❓Why do I feel this way?
❓ Am I dying?

A #livertwitter #tweetorial

First, what is the liver, anyway?

1⃣It's Huge (but hides under your ribs on the right side)
2⃣It's a filter (processes everything u eat or drink)
3⃣It's a factory (makes a ton of stuff u need to live)
4⃣It's a warehouse (stores a ton of stuff…that u need 2 live)

What is liver disease?

Basically, it's liver inflammation (🔥)

👉 2 main parts of the liver can be🔥(Pic 1)
👉 Lots can🔥the liver (Pic 2)

The problem:
🔥+ time = ⬆️chance of #cirrhosis

How does #cirrhosis happen?

Imagine you burn your skin
1⃣It's red
2⃣Red goes away
3⃣Scar forms
4⃣Skin slowly heals

Now imagine you keep burning it or burn deeply
🚫healing
➕Scar

#Cirrhosis is two things:

🛑Scar changes the liver's shape so hard 4 blood 2 flow in👎less good liver to do its job (replaced by scar)

What is #cirrhosis?
A traffic jam
1⃣Blood flows gut➡️liver
2⃣ #cirrhosis=lane closure
3⃣Blood backs up
4⃣Congestion
So
5⃣Spleen=off ramp. It swells
6⃣Body makes bypass routes(varices)
But
7⃣Varices not made 4 traffic, R prone 2 bleeding
8⃣Junk liver would detox ends up in blood

The #cirrhosis effect on blood flow is called

PORTAL HYPERTENSION

This is one of the causes of:
1⃣Bleeding varices (varicose veins in the gut)
2⃣Ascites (fluid in the belly)
3⃣Hepatic encephalopathy (changes to thinking, alertness)

A word about ascites

👉Definition: Fluid in the belly
👉The truth: It sucks
👉The cause: A cruel trick the liver plays on the heart and kidney
#cirrhosis

A word about hepatic encephalopathy (HE)

👉The picture tries to show you the ‘spectrum’ of HE
👉Can cause you to feel down, to stumble, lose consciousness
👉HE can be very scary for those around you
👉I hate HE
#cirrhosis

How will I know if I have #cirrhosis?

There are 3⃣ ways to know

You can:
1⃣Develop symptoms
2⃣Go looking for it (get tested)
3⃣Get surprised by a test ordered for other reason

How can I have #cirrhosis and not know it?!

Cirrhosis has no symptoms - until it does

This can take years

I have #cirrhosis, now what?

Many things help people with #cirrhosis live better & longer

✅Treating the cause
🚫Killing Hep C
🚫Stopping all alcohol
⬇️Controlling hep B
⬇️Losing excess weight
✅High quality care from an NP/PA/DR
✅Addressing the symptoms

This concludes a for-patients #tweetorial on #cirrhosis

THANKS FOR READING. Should I do more? On what?

I am trying to improve the education we provide patients @michiganliver, so your guidance is appreciated