Ascites is a buildup of fluid in your abdomen. It often occurs as a result of cirrhosis, a liver disease. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have cirrhosis and notice you’re gaining weight very quickly. Your provider will talk to you about treatments, which often include a low-salt diet.
What is ascites?
Ascites (ay-SITE-eez) is when too much fluid builds up in your abdomen (belly). This condition often happens in people who have cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver.
A sheet of tissue called the peritoneum covers the abdominal organs, including the stomach, bowels, liver and kidneys. The peritoneum has two layers. Ascites happens when fluid builds up between the two layers.
What are risk factors for ascites?
Having a condition that causes cirrhosis puts you at greater risk for developing ascites. These conditions include:
- Non-alcohol associated fatty liver disease.
- Hepatitis B.
- Hepatitis C.
- Alcohol use disorder.
- Autoimmune hepatitis.
- Genetic liver diseases like hemochromatosis, Wilson disease and alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency.
Other conditions that can lead to ascites include:
- Congestive heart failure.
- Kidney failure.
- Cancers of the organs in the abdomen and pelvis.
- Infections.
How common is ascites?
Fluid buildup rarely occurs in otherwise healthy people. It develops as a result of other diseases, most often cirrhosis. Ascites is the most common complication of cirrhosis. About half of people with decompensated cirrhosis will develop ascites. Cirrhosis accounts for about 80% of the cases of ascites.
