Ascites: symptoms, causes, treatment, to prevention

Definition

What is ascites?

Ascites is a condition when fluid in the abdominal cavity builds up. This build-up of fluids includes stringy and serous fluids which are pale yellow in color.

The abdominal cavity is under the chest cavity, separated by the diaphragm, and consists of various organs, including:

stomach,
pancreas,
intestines,
heart,
spleen, and
kidney.

This condition can occur due to various health problems, such as liver disease, cancer, congestive heart failure, and kidney failure. When it is severe, ascites can trigger symptoms that make you unable to move freely.

In addition, this fluid buildup can also cause stomach infections. In fact, fluids can flow into the chest and surround the lungs, making it difficult for you to breathe.

How common is this condition?

Ascites is a condition that can happen to anyone. However, this disease tends to affect patients with cirrhosis of the liver. That is why, people with impaired liver function are more prone to fluid buildup in the abdominal cavity.

Signs and symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of this condition?

The buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity can certainly cause the stomach to feel tight and uncomfortable. Symptoms of ascites can develop slowly or suddenly depending on the cause.

In addition to making the stomach uncomfortable, these fluids can put pressure on others and trigger symptoms such as:

swollen stomach,
weight gain in a short period of time,
heartburn,
shortness of breath when lying down,
decreased appetite, as well
nausea and vomiting.

When it gets worse, ascites can lead to complications accompanied by the following signs and symptoms.

Infection

This condition, known as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), can trigger abdominal pain, fever, and nausea. If not treated immediately, you are at risk of developing kidney failure, infection in the bloodstream, to mental disorders.

Hernia is related to stress

Pressure on the abdomen from the buildup of fluid can cause development around the navel and inguinal hernia. As a result, you feel uncomfortable around the stomach.

Buildup of fluid in the chest

Fluid buildup in the chest or hydrothorax occurs when fluid flows to the side of the lung cavity. This can lead to shortness of breath, especially during activity or sometimes while resting.

When to see a doctor?

If you experience one or more of the symptoms mentioned above, please consult a doctor. This also applies when you experience symptoms that are not mentioned above, given that everyone's body response is different.

Causes and risk factors

What are the causes of ascites?

The cause of ascites usually starts with damage to the liver. The damaged liver eventually cannot produce enough protein to keep the circulatory system fluid. As a result, the pressure in the blood vessels of the liver increases and pushes fluid into the abdominal cavity.

Here are some of the causes of ascites due to liver disease.

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is the liver disease that most often causes ascites. Although it is not yet known exactly how fluid buildup occurs, some experts argue that it is related to hypertension.

An increase in blood pressure to the liver can actually trigger an increase in fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Acute liver failure

Apart from cirrhosis, another liver disease that causes ascites is acute liver failure. This condition may occur due to acute injury to liver cells, including side effects of drugs.

Build-up of water and salt

If the liver cells are damaged, it can affect liver and kidney function. The reason is, this impaired liver function can affect the excretion of salt from the body through urine.

Excess salt levels in the body can cause fluid to build up in the stomach and trigger discomfort.

Other causes

Apart from the three health problems above, there are other causes of ascites that you need to know, namely:

congestive heart failure,
kidney failure,
colon cancer,
pancreatic cancer,
gastric cancer,
ovarian cancer,
lung cancer,
cervical cancer,
type 2 diabetes
pancreatitis, and
long-term alcohol abuse.

What factors increase the risk of developing this condition?

Several factors that can increase your risk of developing ascites include:

cirrhosis of the liver,
hepatitis B,
hepatitis C,
cancer of the stomach organs
heart cancer,
tuberculosis (TB),
nephrotic syndrome,
hypothyroidism,
obesity, and
excessive alcohol use.

If you have one or more risk factors, you should discuss it with your doctor to get the right treatment according to your condition.

Diagnosis and treatment

How is ascites diagnosed?

In addition to undergoing a physical examination, the doctor will also ask for symptoms and ask you to undergo tests such as:

CT scan,
MRI, and
Ultrasound.

If needed, you will also do a test called paracentesis. This procedure involves a small needle that is inserted through the abdominal wall after a local anesthetic is applied.

This aims to remove the liquid to be analyzed in the laboratory. That way, the fluid can be checked for signs of infection or cancer and determine the cause of ascites.

In most cases, your doctor will refer you to a specialist doctor for the liver. That way, you and your doctor may be able to discuss a liver transplant.

How to treat ascites?

How to treat ascites will vary depending on what causes the buildup of fluid in your abdominal cavity. Here are some ascites treatment options quoted from the American College of Gastroenterology.

Diuretic drugs

Diuretic drugs are the most commonly used method of treating ascites. The reason is, the diuretic effect can increase the amount of salt and fluids that leave the body. That way, the pressure on the blood vessels around the liver decreases.

While treatment with diuretics is running, the doctor will also regularly monitor blood chemistry. You will also be asked to stop alcohol consumption and limit your salt intake during treatment.

Paracentesis

Paracentesis is a medical procedure used to diagnose disease and can also be used as a treatment for ascites. This procedure is usually combined with antibiotics because there is a risk of infection.

This treatment is only carried out if the buildup of fluid occurs repeatedly or is very severe. This is because at this stage the diuretic drugs will no longer work.

Operation

In very severe cases, doctors will recommend surgery as a way to treat ascites.

In this procedure, the doctor will insert a permanent tube-shaped implant into the body to regulate blood flow around the liver.

Liver transplant

If the above types of treatment do not work, the doctor will recommend a liver transplant. This option only occurs in patients with very severe liver disease.

Home remedies

How to treat ascites at home?

Apart from getting treatment from a doctor, you can also change your lifestyle to be healthier to speed up the healing process. This method also aims to protect the health of the liver from further damage.

The lifestyle that needs to be done when experiencing ascites is as follows.