Day-to-day coping strategies
In general, it is best to aim for as near to a normal life as possible. However, there are some points that you should keep in mind to help you feel as healthy as you can.
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Take care of yourself by ensuring enough rest and exercise
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Follow sensible hygiene measures if your resistance to infection (immunity) is low.
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Discuss the use of over-the-counter drugs with your doctor including ordinary painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen
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Try to limit your exposure to colds and other infectious diseases.
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Talk to your doctor about having a flu vaccination in the winter months.
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Before travelling abroad, talk to your doctor about whether you should have any vaccinations.
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Take an interest in your healthcare. Gather as much information as you need from charity telephone helplines and their supporting websites.
It It is easy to become unhappy or depressed when you suffer from chronic illness. Discuss ways to overcome depression with your doctor. If appropriate, certain medications can be helpful in helping you cope.
However, you must ensure that health professionals know you have cirrhosis before giving or prescribing any treatment or medication for you.
Diet
It is important to eat well and to include a good balance of foods in your diet including vitamins, minerals and calcium. It is likely you will need extra energy and protein.
Cirrhosis affects your ability to store glycogen, a carbohydrate that gives you short-term energy. This means that your body has to use its own muscle tissue to provide energy between meals and this can lead to muscle wasting and weakness.
If you are affected in this way, snacking between meals is a way you can top up on calories and protein. Another good method is to eat three or four small meals in a day rather than one large protein or carbohydrate-heavy meal.
You may find having nourishing drinks a help. These can include homemade milkshakes or commercially-made products such as Build Up, Complan, Recovery and Nourishment. These are available at most chemists. It is a good idea to check with your doctor or dietician first to see make sure they are suitable for you.
Try to avoid salty foods or adding salt to what you eat, to help control fluid retention.
Some people with cirrhosis have hyperglycaemia, which means having too much sugar in your
blood. If you have hyperglycaemia you may be advised to follow a diet similar to that used by
people with diabetes and avoid foods that are high in sugar.
Alcohol and cirrhosis
Almost everyone who drinks too much alcohol will suffer some liver damage, but this does not
necessarily turn into cirrhosis. As many as nine out of ten people who drink to excess will
develop a fatty liver, with one in ten progressing to cirrhosis.
In general, the more you drink, the greater your chance of developing alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis. A poor diet may make the problem worse.
All types of alcoholic drinks can lead to liver disease. If you have cirrhosis – whether it is
caused by alcohol or not – you should not drink alcohol at all.