How is hepatic ascites formed and what are the symptoms

Ascites is a product derived from the imbalance of liver function caused by cirrhosis. Although it does not cause serious harm, if cirrhosis does not improve, the ascites problem will gradually worsen. In the most serious case, it may lead to liver disease. Therefore, everyone should have sufficient understanding of hepatic ascites and should not take it lightly.

Ascites usually occurs in the middle and late stages of the disease, but the symptoms shown by the patients are different. Ascites is a type of liver disease ascites, a type of localized edema, which refers to the accumulation of excessive fluid in the abdominal cavity. Ascites caused by liver disease can occur rapidly or slowly. When the amount of ascites is small, the patient may have no symptoms. When the ascites increases to a certain extent, abdominal distension, bloating and mild abdominal pain may be found.

Clinical stages of symptoms of hepatic ascites:

1. Water early stage

The patient does not have ascites, nor does he experience dilation and inadequate filling of the systemic arteries, but excessive sodium intake can cause water and sodium retention, meaning that the kidneys' sodium processing is impaired.

2. Reactive ascites stage

The retention of sodium and water in the blood increases significantly, which expands the total blood volume, and then the peripheral arteries dilate to reduce vascular resistance. The dilation of peripheral arteries is due to the release of large amounts of various vasodilator substances by visceral tissues, which causes the visceral circulation and systemic circulation to dilate in turn. Subsequently, ascites forms according to the peripheral artery hypothesis.

3. Refractory ascites stage

The patient had severe liver disease, significant sodium and water retention, was insensitive to diuretic treatment, and had hemodynamic instability. Hyperactivity of the plasma renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and the sympathetic nervous system, and decreased peripheral vascular responsiveness to vasoactive substances

4. Hepatorenal syndrome

The first stage often occurs in patients with decompensated cirrhosis with refractory ascites. Hypotension occurs due to further peripheral arterial dilation, and the mechanism, in order to maintain effective circulating volume, leads to increased synthesis of vasoconstrictor substances, especially increased plasma endothelin levels.

Once ascites occurs, it means that the liver's own function has become very poor. The causes of ascites include hepatic, renal, and autoimmune. While treating ascites, Western medicine will bring great side effects, often damaging the kidneys and failing to achieve overall regulation of the internal organs, thus causing the disease to further develop into hepatorenal syndrome, uremia, and renal failure. When liver disease reaches the late stage, the possibility of a cure is very small, but it is possible to control the progression of the disease through drug treatment, prevent and alleviate the pain caused by cancer, and it is not impossible to survive with the tumor for a long time.

Once ascites occurs in patients with liver disease, the patient's quality of life is seriously affected, but this does not mean that the disease is no longer worth treating. Active treatment should still be given to improve the quality of life, prolong survival time, and create conditions for seeking professional treatment plans. Patients with liver disease who develop ascites must actively control the growth of ascites, minimize the patient's pain, and create opportunities for a complete cure of the liver disease.