Livng With Cirrhosis
Livng With Cirrhosis
Livng With Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis
patienteducation.osumc.edu
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Sincerely,
Your Ohio State Hepatology Team
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The adult liver weighs about 2 to 4 pounds. It lies in the right side of the upper
abdomen next to the stomach. The rib cage covers most of the liver except that
area just below the breast bone. Underneath the liver sits the stomach, large
intestine, the right kidney and the gallbladder.
• Chronic hepatitis (type B and C are more • Jaundice - Yellowing of your skin caused
common) by too much bilirubin in your blood.
Treating Cirrhosis
Eating Tips
A healthy liver breaks down foods into many usable parts. It makes fuel for
your body from carbohydrates and fat. It makes protein for building muscles
and healing, and stores and activates vitamins and minerals. The liver also
breaks down waste products your body makes. When the liver is stressed or
scarred from cirrhosis, it has to work harder to do these jobs.
Making changes to your diet can help your liver and the rest of your body work
better. Talk to your doctor or dietitian if you have any questions about your
diet.
Salt is a mineral, called sodium chloride, and it occurs naturally in the soil. Most foods have a low
level of natural salt before any salt is added in cooking or for seasoning. When your body has too
much sodium, fluid in the body builds up. Extra fluid increases the work of your heart and kidneys
and can increase blood pressure. Some health conditions, like cirrhosis, are greatly affected by
this extra fluid. Eating less sodium may help control these problems.
9. Soups: 7. Soups:
• Unsalted homemade soups. • Regular canned
• Low-sodium or no salt added soups. soups, dried,
instant mixes.
10. Snack foods: • Frozen soups.
• Unsalted snack chips, such as corn chips, tortilla chips, • Regular broth,
pretzels, potato chips or popcorn. bouillon,
• Unsalted nuts, such as almonds, pecans or walnuts. consommé.
• Unsalted peanut butter/nut butter. • Homemade soups
• Salsa made with low salt or no salt added tomatoes. with ham or ham
bones, bacon, salt
11. Fats: fish, salted meat.
• Vegetable oils or shortening or unsalted butter/margarine.
• Homemade salad dressings, gravy, sauce with no added 8. Snack foods:
salt and allowed ingredients. • Regular salted
• Limit regular salted butter/margarine to 4 teaspoons/day. snack chips.
• Limit regular mayonnaise to 2 Tablespoons/day. • Prepared dips,
spreads.
12. Desserts and sweets: .
• One serving of dessert per day unless told differently by 9. Fats:
provider. • Commercial salad
• Salt-free desserts, such as cake cookies, donuts, dressings, mixes,
brownies made with allowed ingredients. sauces, gravies.
• Ice cream, sherbet, pudding, gelatin, foods made with
honey, jam, preserves, marshmallows, corn/maple syrup, 10. Desserts:
plain hard or soft candies, such as jelly beans, lemon • Molasses, regular
drops and mints. salted nuts or
peanut butter,
licorice.
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