Have you been diagnosed with hemorrhagic ascites? The term “beer belly” often refers to fluid buildup in the abdomen known as ascites. There are actually several causes including liver disease, stomach cancer, and heart disease. Like other health conditions, it’s important to know how to treat it effectively. The main goal is to reduce the fluid in the abdomen, which can involve several treatments including so-called “water tablets.” The normal amount of fluid in the abdomen is usually small so in the case of ascites, it’s about fluid buildup. The condition can also have various complications.
Hemorrhoids are actually quite common and can affect up to 5% of the population. The condition involves swollen veins in the lower rectum area. The irritated veins can cause swelling that causes pain/discomfort. While the condition itself can be treated easily, it’s also critical to know the main cause of the symptoms. For example, it might be a sign that you have more serious conditions like ascites, which itself could be a sign of other health conditions. The key is to get correctly diagnosed so you can get needed treatments. This can help to deal with the condition more effectively and be more comfortable.
What Exactly Is Ascites?
People often make jokes about someone having a “beer belly,” but it could be a sign of a serious condition known as ascites. This involves fluid buildup in the abdomen. It can be a painful condition and prevent a person from moving comfortably.
There can also be various complications involved. They include abdominal infection. There are also times fluid can build up in other areas including the chest/lungs. This can cause breathing problems. This can make the condition tougher to deal with.
Ascites can be caused by various factors. The main one is liver cirrhosis. People often link cirrhosis of the liver to heavy alcohol drinking. However, it can also be linked to bad diet, hepatitis infections, some kinds of cancer, and genetic disorders.
As always, it’s important to find out the main cause of the ascites. You can then receive treatments for whatever condition is causing the signs/symptoms.
Ascites can cause various kinds of signs/symptoms including:
- Feeling of fullness
- Heaving feeling
- Lower-leg swelling
- Breathing problems
- Bloating
- Hemorrhoids
- Vomiting
- Weight gain
- Nausea/indigestion
If you think you have ascites it’s important to get it checked out. Your doctor will conduct a physical exam and check about any symptoms you’re experiencing. There are also various tests that could be run. They include a fluid sample from the belly. This will check for signs of diseases like infection, liver disease, or cancer.
Imaging is another way to diagnose ascites. There are various tests done including ultrasound, CT scan (X-rays) or MRI (radio waves). These are effective tests to check if you have the condition.
There are various steps you can take to treat ascites. One of the main ones is to reduce your salt intake since this can cause fluid buildup in the abdomen. Other steps include stop alcohol-drinking, limit fluids, and take water tablets to make you urinate more.
What Are Hemorrhagic Ascites?
The term “hemorrhagic” refers to any condition that includes hemorrhoids as a symptom. This condition is also known as “piles” and involves swollen veins located in the lower rectum/anus. When the blood vessels become stretched, it results in irritation and swelling.
This condition is defined by a count of red blood cells (RBC) that’s higher than normal. There are different lab tests and models that are used to classify a person’s ascites as being “hemorrhagic.” This condition is quite common among cirrhosis patients. One study showed that one out of five cirrhosis patients had the condition.
Patients with this condition have higher rates of different health issues. They include bacterial infection, kidney injury, and stays in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Versus liver disease patients without this condition. Various studies show that patients with the condition also have higher mortality rates.
One of the common symptoms of cirrhosis is the high blood pressure of liver veins. This is caused by damaged liver tissue. This, in turn, can cause blood flow from the liver to other human organs. That, in turn, can result in an enlarged spleen.
It can also cause swollen veins within the patient’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This includes body parts. This condition can be related to hemorrhagic ascites.
This condition is closely related to ascites among cirrhosis patients. The patient’s enlarged abdomen puts pressure on blood vessels. This can then lead to hemorrhoids. This is one of the various complications linked to ascites and cirrhosis.
There are various other causes of hemorrhoids. However, if you’ve been diagnosed with cirrhosis then it’s critical to get the situation checked out if you’re experiencing hemorrhoids. Your doctor can suggest treatments to deal with the situation. This can include traditional treatments including water tablets and fluid extraction. You can also use over-the-counter (OTC) and alternative medicine treatments.
Natural Remedies for Ascites
Natural Diuretics
There are various “water tablets” on the market that can help to increase urination and thus treat fluid buildup in the abdomen. However, there are also natural diuretics like asparagus, which can help to reduce your body’s fluid levels naturally.
One of the main benefits of this option is you can avoid unwanted side-effects from prescription medicines. This is certainly a plus in terms of using a holistic (whole-body) method to reduce abdominal fluid.
Less Fluids
This is one of the most practical options since ascites is caused by fluid buildup. Make sure you’re still drinking enough water in particular. You should also consider consuming healthy drinks like fruit/vegetable juice, black coffee, and green tea. However, you should make sure not to overdo it on fluids during the day. This is especially the case with unhealthy options like sodas, sports drinks, and sweetened teas/coffees.
Ditch Alcohol
This is especially related to alcoholic cirrhosis. In that case, alcohol can cause more liver damage, which you’ll want to avoid. Cirrhosis is a late-stage liver disease that already involves severe damage to the vital organ. It’s important to slow down further damage to the liver and one of the best ways to do that is to stop drinking alcohol.
Low-salt Diet
This is one of the best steps you can take. The reason is sodium can cause water retention. When that happens it can increase the chance of fluid buildup, and thus ascites. The recommended daily value (DV) of sodium is 1500mg.
However, if you have ascites you should definitely consider a low-sodium diet. This can help to treat/prevent ascites and possible side-effects like hemorrhoids. When going on a low-salt diet make sure to reduce table salt and “hidden salt” that’s added to pre-packaged food. This can provide the best results for treating hemorrhagic ascites.
