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Cirrhosis of the liver: the signs, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and keeping it from getting worse
For anyone just told they have cirrhosis, anyone whose liver tests came back off, anyone living with fatty liver disease, hepatitis B or C, or years of drinking, and anyone caring for someone with liver disease. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver is scarred and permanently damaged; that many people have no symptoms until the liver is badly damaged; and that treating the causes may slow the damage. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the signs and the emergencies, the causes and the complications, the tests, the treatment, and what you can do to keep it from getting worse. It builds the words to say to a doctor, and prints a card to keep.
A word with a dotted line under it, like this, opens its official definition, quoted from a U.S. government glossary.
Right now
- Vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds, black, tarry or bloody stool, or sudden confusion, being very hard to wake, or fainting: call 911 (ours). Do not drive yourself. NIDDK says people with cirrhosis who vomit blood or have black or bloody stools should go to a hospital right away.
- A fever or new belly pain with a swollen belly, yellow skin or eyes for the first time, or swelling that is getting worse fast? Call your doctor today, and if you cannot reach them, go to urgent care or the emergency room (ours). NIDDK says fluid in the belly can lead to a serious infection.
- Drinking a lot every day and want to stop? Stopping all at once can make you very sick: ask a doctor or a free helpline to help you stop safely (ours). Free, private help.
More help
- Causes and complications, on this site: Hepatitis A, B and C · Fatty liver disease · GI bleeding · Gallstones · Diabetes · An upset stomach: find the right page.
- Keeping it from getting worse: When drinking or drugs are a problem · The flu, and the flu vaccine · My medicines list · Weight log.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · When a medical bill is too much · Symptom diary · Get ready for your appointment · Caring for someone.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.
Other guides on this site that go with this page
Free to read. We chose these ourselves; no professional did. Each guide was written with AI and has not been reviewed by a professional. They are general information, not advice.
- Fatty liver disease in children: NAFLD and NASH, the signs, the tests, treatment, and food: fatty liver disease in children (NAFLD and NASH): the silent signs, the causes, the tests, gradual weight change and habits, supplements, and food, for parents.
- Biliary atresia: yellow skin past 3 weeks and pale stools, the causes, the tests, the Kasai procedure and a liver transplant, and feeding: biliary atresia, a rare liver condition in babies: yellow skin past 3 weeks of age and pale stools, the causes, what it can lead to, the tests, the Kasai procedure, a liver transplant, and feeding.
- Liver transplant: who needs one, a deceased or living donor, the evaluation and the waiting list, the surgery, and living with a new liver: a liver transplant: who needs one, a deceased or a living donor, the evaluation and the national waiting list, the surgery and coming home, rejection, the medicines, and caring for a new liver.
- Alagille syndrome: yellow skin, itching and poor growth in a baby or child, a genetic cause that can reach the heart and kidneys, the tests, treatment, and food: Alagille syndrome: the signs in a baby or child, the genetic cause, the heart and kidneys, the tests, treatment, and food and growth.
- Porphyria: attacks of belly pain and weakness, or skin that blisters and burns in the sun, the types, what sets off an attack, the tests, treatment, and food: porphyria: attacks of belly pain and weakness or skin that blisters in the sun, what sets off an attack, the tests, treatment, and food.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 16, 2026 on NIDDK’s Cirrhosis pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eating, Diet, & Nutrition (last reviewed June 2023). Ours: calling 911 for vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds, black, tarry or bloody stool, or sudden confusion, being very hard to wake, or fainting, and not driving yourself; calling the doctor the same day for a fever or new belly pain with a swollen belly, new yellow skin or eyes, or swelling that is getting worse fast; that stopping heavy daily drinking all at once can make you very sick, so get help to stop safely; not stopping or changing a prescribed medicine on your own; that cirrhosis is not only an alcohol disease, and no one deserves to be judged for it; the questions to ask at a visit; health centers and financial assistance when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: brand names, the names and doses of medicines, scoring systems, research studies, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.