There is no cure for cirrhosis. The liver is capable of repairing some damage, but it is limited. The focus of treatment is to prevent or delay further progression of the disease and to reduce complications. This may involve treating the underlying cause of the disease.

All patients, including those with cirrhosis caused by alcohol abuse, must stop drinking alcohol. Some patients require assistance to help them quit, which may involve a chemical dependency evaluation, intervention, counseling, support groups, outpatient treatment program or inpatient residential program. Other drugs that may be related to liver damage should also be avoided. These include acetaminophen, some other over-the-counter drugs and certain vitamin supplements.

Patients with cirrhosis, regardless of the cause of the disease, must follow a healthy diet because the liver requires nutrients to heal. In addition, patients should avoid eating raw seafood because of the potential presence of bacteria. A diet that restricts salt may also be recommended because of the potential for swelling (edema) and fluid in the abdomen (ascites).

Patients with cirrhosis caused by hepatitis may be treated with medication, such as interferon for viral hepatitis or corticosteroids for autoimmune hepatitis.

Treatment may also involve treating complications of the disease, including:

• Portal hypertension. Medications that lower blood pressure, such as beta blockers, may be prescribed to lower pressure in the portal vein (large, short vein that carries nutrient-rich blood from the intestines and spleen to the liver).
  
  
• Bleeding blood vessels. Medications may be prescribed to reduce bleeding from blood vessels. Patients may also undergo medical procedures to stop bleeding. For example, a procedure called an endoscopic variceal band ligation is used to treat bleeding in the esophagus. During this procedure, latex bands are used to stop the blood supply to bleeding vessels.
  
  
• Fluid retention. Patients may be treated with medications called diuretics to reduce fluid buildup in the legs or abdomen. Some patients require fluid to be removed from the abdominal cavity with a needle using local anesthetic. Patients may require antibiotics to lessen the possibility of bacterial peritonitis.
  
  
• Itching. Patients may be treated with antihistamines to help stop itching.
  
  
• Hepatic encephalopathy. Patients may be treated with lactulose, a medication that helps lower blood ammonia, or antibiotics, which reduce the amount of ammonia-producing bacteria in the intestines.

When the liver is so severely damaged that it does not function, patients need a liver transplant. This involves removing the damaged liver and replacing it with one from an organ donor. Though liver transplantation is successful in a large number of patients, the number of patients who need a new liver is much larger than the number of donated organs. In addition, newer technologies, such as living donors who donate a portion of their liver to another person, are being performed. These transplants may become increasingly available to people seeking a liver.

Researchers are studying potential alternatives to a liver transplant, such as an experimental drug that has treated cirrhosis in mice.