"Liver" products at home, diet and smart coping - daily care guide for liver cirrhosis

Author: Nie Xuanxuan, The Fifth Medical Center, PLA General Hospital

Reviewer: Jin Bo, Chief Physician, Fifth Medical Center, PLA General Hospital

Cirrhosis is an irreversible "elegy" after long-term damage to the liver. It is not only the result of extensive necrosis of liver cells and hyperplasia of fibrous tissue, but also a warning light that life and health are facing severe challenges. What is particularly tricky is that cirrhosis is often not a "lonely battle". It is often accompanied by the invasion of various complications such as ascites, hyponatremia, and hypokalemia. In the face of this series of complex health problems, scientific home management is particularly important. However, this is not an easy task. Patients and their families need to have a wealth of medical knowledge to deal with emergencies; at the same time, they need to overcome the various inconveniences in daily life to ensure the smooth implementation of the treatment plan. Therefore, mastering scientific home management skills, especially the reasonable control of daily diet, is undoubtedly the key to regaining a healthy life for patients with cirrhosis and complications.

1. How should patients with cirrhosis and ascites be managed at home?

1. Diet: It is advisable to eat light, fresh, easily digestible food rich in vitamins and high-quality protein, limit water and sodium intake, drink 800-1000 ml of water per day, and 4-6 g of salt per day. Avoid eating spicy, hard, irritating food, and avoid unclean food.

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2. Regarding medication: Take liver-protecting, diuretic, antiviral, portal blood pressure-lowering and other drugs on time as prescribed by your doctor. Remember not to adjust the dosage or stop taking the drug at will.

3. Skin care: Wear soft, loose cotton clothes, keep the skin clean and moisturized, avoid using alkaline toiletries, and apply body lotion. If you have umbilical hernia, avoid repeated friction of the skin at the umbilical hernia, and do not wear a leather belt or wear pants with too tight waistbands to cause damage to the skin at the umbilical hernia.

4. Observation of the condition: accurately record 24-hour urine volume, monitor body weight every day, regularly monitor changes in blood sodium, maintain smooth bowel movements and observe the color, nature and amount of stool. Seek medical attention in a timely manner if you have fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea or black stools, vomiting blood, burning sensation in the stomach, blurred vision, nausea, worsening abdominal distension and other symptoms.

2. How should patients with decompensated cirrhosis combined with ascites and hyponatremia control salt intake in their diet?

The salt intake in the diet of patients with cirrhosis and ascites should be 4 to 6 g per day. The salt intake of patients with refractory ascites should be reduced as appropriate.

Table salt is the main source of dietary sodium, with each gram of salt containing 393 mg of sodium and 607 mg of chlorine. The normal requirement for sodium is only 500 mg per day, which means that consuming 1 g of salt can meet the body's need for sodium.

In daily cooking, please pay attention to the following matters.

1. Use salt control tools to strictly limit the amount of salt. If one person is cooking, use a 2g salt spoon to take salt, one spoonful per meal, and add up the number of spoonfuls for each person.

2. Reduce the amount of high-sodium condiments such as MSG, soy sauce, and bean paste when cooking.

3. Change the cooking method. Some foods with high sodium content, such as celery, Chinese cabbage, and dried tofu, can be boiled or soaked to reduce their sodium content, and yeast can be used instead of baking soda or soy sauce to supplement the seasoning. If necessary, commercially available low-sodium salt or salt-free soy sauce can be appropriately selected. This type of seasoning uses potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride, but it is not suitable for patients with hyperkalemia.

4. Eat less high-salt foods, such as pickled products (pickles, salted eggs, fermented bean curd, pickles), cooked meat products (sausages, ham, braised beef, dried tofu) and convenient foods (instant noodle seasonings, canned foods), etc.

Common "salt-hiding" foods are shown in the picture below.

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3. What should patients with decompensated cirrhosis and hypokalemia pay attention to in their diet?

Potassium ions are very important electrolytes in the human body. They participate in sugar and protein metabolism, maintain cell osmotic pressure, regulate acid-base balance, participate in the formation of resting potential, maintain neuromuscular excitability, and maintain the coordination of normal myocardial contraction and relaxation. Severe potassium deficiency can lead to acid-base imbalance, metabolic disorders, arrhythmias, general muscle weakness, and laziness. Therefore, consuming potassium-rich foods in the diet is important for regulating hypokalemia.

You should pay attention to eating a moderate amount of potassium-rich foods in your diet.

1. Cereals: buckwheat, corn, etc.

2. Beans: black beans, soybeans, edamame, peas, broad beans, etc.

3. Vegetables: spinach, amaranth, rapeseed, celery, bean sprouts, lettuce, potatoes, yam, mushrooms, carrots, cucumbers, pumpkin, white fungus, etc.

4. Fruits: bananas, apples, longans, citrus, cantaloupes, grapes, mangoes, etc.

5. Seaweed: nori, kelp, hijiki, etc.

6. Meat: poultry, lean meat, fish, etc.

The potassium content of common foods is shown in the figure below.

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