Symptoms & Causes of Cirrhosis

What are the symptoms of cirrhosis?

You may have no signs or symptoms of cirrhosis until your liver is badly damaged.

Early symptoms of cirrhosis may include

  • feeling tired or weak
  • poor appetite
  • losing weight without trying
  • nausea and vomiting
  • mild pain or discomfort in the upper right side of your abdomen

As liver function gets worse, you may have other symptoms, including

  • bruising and bleeding easily
  • confusion, difficulties thinking, memory loss, personality changes, or sleep disorders
  • swelling in your lower legs, ankles, or feet, called edema
  • bloating from buildup of fluid in your abdomen, called ascites
  • severe itchy skin
  • darkening of the color of your urine
  • yellowish tint to the whites of your eyes and skin, called jaundice

What causes cirrhosis?

Cirrhosis has different causes. Some people with cirrhosis have more than one cause of liver damage.

Most common causes

The most common causes of cirrhosis are

Less common causes

Some of the less common causes of cirrhosis include

Last Reviewed March 2018
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This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by the NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.