Claim: Cirrhosis can cause swelling in the lower legs.

Cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver does not function properly due to long-term damage . This damage is characterized by the replacement of normal liver tissue by scar tissue . Typically , the disease develops slowly over months or years . Early on , there are often no symptoms . As the disease worsens , a person may become tired , weak , itchy , have swelling in the lower legs , develop yellow skin , bruise easily , have fluid build up in the abdomen , or develop spider-like blood vessels on the skin . The fluid build-up in the abdomen may become spontaneously infected . Other complications include hepatic encephalopathy , bleeding from dilated veins in the esophagus or dilated stomach veins , and liver cancer . Hepatic encephalopathy results in confusion and may lead to unconsciousness .   Cirrhosis is most commonly caused by alcohol , hepatitis B , hepatitis C , and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease . Typically , more than two or three alcoholic drinks per day over a number of years is required for alcoholic cirrhosis to occur . Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has a number of causes , including being overweight , diabetes , high blood fats , and high blood pressure . A number of less common causes of cirrhosis include autoimmune hepatitis , primary biliary cirrhosis , hemochromatosis , certain medications , and gallstones . Diagnosis is based on blood testing , medical imaging , and liver biopsy .   Some causes of cirrhosis , such as hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccination . Treatment partly depends on the underlying cause , but the goal is often to prevent worsening and complications . Avoiding alcohol is recommended in all cases of cirrhosis . Hepatitis B and C may be treatable with antiviral medications . Autoimmune hepatitis may be treated with steroid medications . Ursodiol may be useful if the disease is due to blockage of the bile ducts . Other medications may be useful for complications such as abdominal or leg swelling , hepatic encephalopathy , and dilated esophageal veins . In severe cirrhosis , a liver transplant may be an option .   Cirrhosis affected about 2.8 million people and resulted in 1.3 million deaths in 2015 . Of these , alcohol caused 348,000 , hepatitis C caused 326,000 , and hepatitis B caused 371,000 . In the United States , more men die of cirrhosis than women . The first known description of the condition is by Hippocrates in the 5th century BCE . The word cirrhosis is from κίρρωσις kirrhos κιρρός `` yellowish '' and - osis meaning `` condition '' , describing the appearance of a cirrhotic liver .