As medicine advances, life is extended in many ways. Most folks are aware of most common conditions that shorten life such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and strokes. But there are a lot of other diseases that most folks do not find out about until they contract them or know someone who been diagnosed with them.
When you or someone you love has been given a hepatic encephalopathy diagnosis you may have a lot of questions like:
What is hepatic encephalopathy (HE)? Is there a treatment for HE? How did I get HE? What are the symptoms of HE?
You might not know that there are various stages of hepatic encephalopathy.
HE is a common condition in people with liver damage symptoms including cirrhosis of the liver. In addition if you have cirrhosis symptoms, you should have your doctor run scans for hepatic encephalopathy. To find out more concerning cirrhosis of the liver view our site for what is liver cirrhosis.
The most common hepatic encephalopathy treatment is lactulose that pulls water from the body to a person's colon, making stool softer and creating more bowel movements. This helps reduce the level of toxins in your body by removing them safely and reducing the strain on liver function. Using liquid lactulose for HE is a proven treatment but does create some minor issues. One lactulose side effect is loose stools. You may also suffer with nausea, bloating, stomach discomfort or loss of fluids from the body.
It is vital to get medical help for HE promptly to prevent further complications or a greater risk for liver failure.