What is ascites?

Ascites, or abdominal dropsy, is a congestion in the abdominal cavity of free fluid due to various pathologies. The clinical picture is accompanied by an increase in the volume of the abdomen and an increase in weight.

In this article we will tell in more detail what ascites is.

Ascites: Causes

The most common causes of ascites are portalhypertension, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis and thrombosis of the hepatic veins. In addition, the disease can become a manifestation of blood diseases, both tumor and non-tumor nature, as well as congestive heart failure. Diseases of the thyroid gland, kidney and lymph circulation failures can also lead to ascites.

Symptoms

Ascites are characterized mainly by strongan increase in the abdomen in size and weight gain, while both processes can take place slowly - for weeks, and may occur within a few days, or even hours. Additional symptoms are bursting pain, eructation, heartburn, nausea.

Treatment

Treatment of ascites largely depends on the causes,which caused it, sometimes enough therapeutic intervention with the appointment of diet and diuretics, but in most cases without a surgeon can not do. The patient undergoes a special operation, during which the abdominal wall is pierced and excess fluid is removed from it. Since ascites is, in most cases, a symptom of the progression of a major complex disease, the prognosis after treatment is rarely favorable.

More about the diseases and their treatment, look for in the section Health.