Bathing in Epsom salts may help relieve some symptoms of cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a serious and progressive condition of the liver. It is often the result of prolonged abuse of alcohol, but may also result from Hepatitis B or C. Symptoms may go unnoticed at first, but serious complications can develop if left unchecked. Reports suggest that Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) may be useful for alleviating some symptoms in those who suffer from cirrhosis.
Liver Functions
The liver has numerous important functions in the human body. For example, the liver is necessary to process fats and protein from food, passing out of the liver as bile and excreted via the gut. The liver also removes toxins from the body. One of its more familiar functions is to process and remove alcohol, which is why alcoholism and cirrhosis are so closely linked. Alcohol abuse damages the liver, which in turn is progressively less able to process the alcohol intake.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis of the liver is a condition where healthy liver tissue is gradually replaced by scar tissue. As scar tissue builds, even more normal liver tissue dies. As a result, liver function is seriously compromised over time. Symptoms of progressed cirrhosis range from weight loss and general weakness to jaundice, internal bleeding and personality changes, the latter caused by unprocessed toxins affecting the brain. There is also an increased risk of liver cancer, and ultimately a liver transplant may be necessary.
Hypomagnesaemia
Hypomagnesaemia is a symptom frequently seen in alcoholic and cirrhotic patients. Hypomagnesaemia is a lack of magnesium in the blood and can lead to numerous secondary symptoms including hypocalcaemia. Hypocalcaemia is a cause of tetany, or involuntary and painful muscular spasms. It can also lead to other, life-threatening complications. Hypomagnesaemia can be caused by a poor diet low in dietary magnesium, but it is also caused by alcoholism and cirrhosis irrespective of magnesium intake.
Magnesium Overdose
Hypomagnesaemia might be helped through treating with magnesium salts, including magnesium sulphate, which is the clinical term for Epsom salts. Epsom salts are so-named because the mineral was originally sourced from spa-water in the English town of Epsom. Epsom salts are 100 percent magnesium sulphate and although the salts can be taken internally, care is advised since overdosing is a real and dangerous possibility. Excess magnesium is removed from the body by the kidneys, so individuals suffering from kidney problems are warned to be especially wary of taking Epsom salts internally. Deaths from accidental Epsom salt overdose have been recorded.
Epsom Salt Baths
Although magnesium sulphate should be taken internally only under medical supervision, Epsom salts can be added to a bath for positive effects. Studies carried out at the University of Birmingham, UK, show that magnesium is very well absorbed through the skin. Bathing in magnesium sulphate baths has been shown to directly increase the levels of magnesium in the blood, and is considered a safe means of increasing blood magnesium levels in cirrhotic patients.
Tags: Epsom salts, magnesium sulphate, alcoholism cirrhosis, cirrhotic patients, Epsom Salt