Some eating out in Nanjing have found themselves suddenly close to acting in perhaps the most-memorable scene from sci-fi horror classic movie, “Alien”, when a dining companion began to uncontrollably cough up blood at their table.
It was just recently in Nanjing that 60-year-old Mr. Li began to spit blood after dinner. By the time he had reached the hospital, he had coughed up almost one full litre of blood. Or to put that another way, more than 20 percent of the total in his entire body.
Mr. Li has had a history of liver cirrhosis for many years. Doctors say that gastrointestinal bleeding is caused by portal hypertension that is a common complication of liver cirrhosis.
Portal hypertension is increased pressure in the portal venous system, a major vein that leads to the liver.
Qi Xiaolong is Chief editor of English magazine, “Portal Hypertension and Cirrhosis”. Speaking with Jiangsu Television, Qi said, “When we eat something a little harder, even a melon or sunflower seed, it’s possible to cut that vein”.
In a report published by The Paper, a doctor said that mortality from hematemesis, or vomiting blood, can be as high as 50 percent.
Li has got off very lucky. Surgery has so far been successful, and his medical condition is presently described as having turned a corner.
Cinematic similarities aside, this is also a warning tale. According to Britain’s NHS, “Cirrhosis is scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by long-term liver damage. The scar tissue prevents the liver working properly”. Cirrhosis is also referred to as the “end-stage liver disease” as it takes place after other liver-damage conditions, such as hepatitis.
But what we need to know is that cirrhosis may not show any symptoms during its early stages. People with damaged livers may feel tired and weak, experience a loss of appetite, weight and muscle mass; and have nausea, red patches on their palms as well as small, spider-like blood vessels on the skin above waist level.
As for its causes, drinking too much alcohol for many years should not come as a surprise. Those who have been infected with hepatitis B or C for an extended period are also susceptible, as are those with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. It is also possible that cirrhosis be caused by problems related to bile ducts, the immune system, certain inherited conditions, or the long-term use of certain medicines.
