About fluid in the abdomen This page tells you about fluid in the abdomen (ascites). There is information on What ascites is The causes of fluid in the abdomen Symptoms of ascites Tests for ascites What ascites is Ascites (pronounced ay-site-eez) is the medical name for a build up of fluid in the abdomen. The abdomen is the area of the body below the ribs and lungs and above the hip bones. It contains many of the bodys organs, including the stomach, small and large bowel, pancreas, liver, spleen, and kidneys. Around the organs of the abdomen there is a sheet of tissue called the peritoneum. It is made up of 2 layers. One layer of the peritoneum lines the wall of the abdomen. The other layer covers the organs in the abdomen. The layers produce a small amount of fluid, so that the organs in the abdomen can move smoothly. Sometimes fluid builds up between the 2 layers of the peritoneum. This makes the abdomen swell. ascites Back to top The causes of fluid in the abdomen There are a number of possible causes of fluid in the abdomen (ascites). It may develop when Cancer cells irritate the lining of the abdomen and make it produce too much fluid The lymph glands in the abdomen become blocked so that they can’t drain fluid out of the abdomen as they usually do Areas of cancer in the liver raise the pressure in nearby blood vessels, forcing fluid out of the blood vessels and into the abdominal cavity The liver is not working normally – it can’t make blood proteins as it should, causing fluid to leak out of the veins and into the abdominal cavity The heart is not working normally A number of conditions can cause fluid in the abdomen, including liver disease, heart disease and cancer. This page is about ascites due to cancer. This is usually a sign that the cancer has spread and is advanced. Cancers that can cause ascites include Ovarian cancer Breast cancer Bowel cancer Stomach cancer Pancreatic cancer Mesothelioma in the peritoneum Lung cancer Liver cancer Womb cancer Back to top Symptoms of ascites The main symptom of fluid in the abdomen is swelling. This often develops over a few weeks but may happen over a few days. Symptoms include Clothes feeling tighter, or needing to increase your belt size Bloating Feeling uncomfortable Abdominal pain Back pain Difficulty sitting comfortably and moving about Feeling sick Loss of appetite Indigestion Constipation Needing to pass urine often Shortness of breath Tiredness (fatigue) Back to top Tests for ascites Your doctor will examine you and ask you about your symptoms. You will have tests to help find out what is causing the fluid build up in your abdomen. These may include An ultrasound scan Sampling the fluid from your abdomen to check for cancer cells and infection Blood tests to check your general health and how well your liver and kidneys are working A CT scan To take a sample of fluid, your hospital doctor puts a needle into your abdomen using an ultrasound scan to guide them. They use a syringe to draw out some fluid and send it to the laboratory to be examined under a microscope. In the lab, they will look for cancer cells in the fluid. Back to top Rate this page: Submit rating Rated 5 out of 5 based on 68 votes Share this: Print this page Click to email this to a friend Email this page Back to Fluid in the abdomen Back to Fluid in the abdomen Forward to Treating fluid in the abdomen Forward to Treating fluid in the abdomen Increase text sizeIncrease text size Decrease text sizeDecrease text size Print this pagePrint page Glossary New BrandGlossary E-Newsletter New Brande-Newsletter Help New BrandHelp Contact us Support us Print basket Save pages here and print in one go Add this page View your basket Nurse helpline Questions about cancer? Call freephone 0808 800 4040 or email us Cancer Chat Visit our forum to talk to other people affected by cancer Support our research into cancer My Projects Cancer help image Find out more Looking for leaflets and posters? Visit our publications page to order resources on detecting and preventing cancer
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 15:38:11 +0000
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