Darkening of the skin in cirrhosis

The liver weighs about 1.5 kg, has a very important function, the liver is likened to the "chemical factory" of the body. Having liver disease will greatly affect the health of each person. Skin signs such as darkening of the skin in cirrhosis may suggest that you are suffering from liver diseases, let's find out in the article below.

1. What is cirrhosis?

Functions of the liver are: Synthesis of protein, cholesterol; Purify the blood, remove toxins from the body; store vitamins A, D, K,...; produce bile to help digest food; maintain blood glucose levels. Cirrhosis is the result of liver cell damage over a long period of time. The liver parenchyma is fibrosis, forming fibrous bands, affecting the circulation in the liver. The liver cells cannot recover, causing liver function to decline.

2. Skin manifestations in cirrhosis

The liver has a good compensatory capacity, the normal liver will replace the fibrosis liver. Therefore, the early stages of cirrhosis often have no specific symptoms, making it difficult for patients to detect or confuse with other diseases. Signs that cannot be ignored include:

2.1. Jaundice in cirrhosis

Jaundice is a common sign in people with liver disease. But this sign usually does not appear at the beginning, but only when the severe stage becomes obvious. Yellow skin is caused by an abnormal metabolism of bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment produced by broken red blood cells. It follows the blood to the liver, is broken down by the liver, and excreted in the feces and urine. If liver function is impaired, bilirubin builds up in the body and turns the skin yellow. Jaundice caused by the liver is often accompanied by yellowing of the eyes, which can be observed when jaundice is abundant, dark yellow. It is difficult to tell if jaundice is mild because Asians are inherently yellow. Jaundice may not be present in about 80% of cases of liver disease. Jaundice often appears in diseases: cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, liver cancer. Yellow fingernails and eye color are serious symptoms of liver damage.

2.2. Darkening of the skin in cirrhosis

The darkening of the skin in cirrhosis is caused by the skin becoming more pigmented, making the skin darker, darker, and gray. Poor liver function affects the endocrine system, leading to skin problems like acne and melasma. Melanin metabolism disorders also make dark circles more obvious and severe. Darkening of the skin in cirrhosis occurs if a patient with hepatitis progresses to cirrhosis.

2.3. Itchy skin due to cirrhosis

The liver has the function of eliminating toxins, when there is a problem with the liver, the elimination capacity is worse along with an unreasonable lifestyle and diet. Over time, it leads to the accumulation of toxins in the body, causing itchy skin. Itchy skin caused by liver disease can appear in different areas of the skin, but it will be more itchy on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. In hot weather, itchy skin can be accompanied by hives, lumps, or widespread redness. Skin itching may be more intense at night than during the day. Often itching due to liver disease will not subside even with anti-allergy medication. Dermatological examination to rule out itchy skin caused by: Allergies, skin diseases, contact dermatitis, insect bites, ...

2.4. lipstick palm

When the palm is erythematous, or turns red, especially in the thumb. This sign is common in patients with acute, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis.

2.5. There are star marks on the skin

Angioedema is an area of blood vessels that are raised like a spider's web, red in color, of different sizes on the skin. Usually appears on the face, neck, chest and other places. Common in people with hepatitis. If the hepatitis is getting better, the asterisk will disappear. About 80% of people who develop astrocytoma later find out that liver function is damaged.

2.6. Dark lips

When the lips are darker, darker than usual, your liver function is having problems, the detoxification status is worse. Toxins accumulated in the body will affect hormones, poor blood circulation will darken lips.

3. Diagnosis of liver disease

To diagnose liver disease, it is necessary to determine whether hepatocellular insufficiency syndrome and portal hypertension syndrome are present, through:
Medical history. Clinical symptoms. Subclinical symptoms: Especially liver function index, bilirubin concentration, bile salts. In the early stages of cirrhosis, there are often no obvious symptoms. When the disease is at an advanced stage, it is very difficult to treat. Should self-evaluate strange signs on the skin, proactively do the necessary tests to protect your liver.

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Bài viết này được viết cho người đọc tại Sài Gòn, Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh, Phú Quốc, Nha Trang, Hạ Long, Hải Phòng, Đà Nẵng.