What causes dry mouth, nausea, weakness and dizziness? Possible reasons

Published: 08/09/2021 13:40:00 Updated: 08/09/2021

Liver cirrhosis is a chronic disease characterized by the irreversible replacement of the liver parenchyma with scar connective tissue with the gradual loss of the organ’s function, its thickening and wrinkling.

The pathology can be caused by a viral infection, intoxication of the body, hereditary and autoimmune disorders, and damage to other structures of the hepatobiliary system. Without the help of doctors, the disease progresses and after a few years leads to the death of the patient from developed complications.

Treatment of liver cirrhosis includes taking medications to relieve symptoms and correct associated disorders. The only radical treatment is surgical organ transplantation, but surgery is performed in extreme cases.

Causes of liver cirrhosis

One of the most common causes of liver cirrhosis, especially in men, is alcohol abuse.
Often organ fibrosis develops as a result of other diseases of the hepatobiliary system - viral and toxic hepatitis, obstruction or inflammation of the biliary tract, cholelithiasis. The following pathologies can also serve as an etiological factor:

• parasitic infestation;
• venous congestion in the vessels of the liver;
• portal hypertension;
• autoimmune diseases;
• severe right ventricular heart failure;
• secondary or tertiary syphilis, brucellosis;
• inherited metabolic disorders;
• long-term use of medications, for example, Iprazide, anabolic steroids, Isoniazid, androgens, Methyldopa, Inderal, Methotrexate;
• mushroom poisoning, ingestion of industrial poisons, heavy metal salts and other toxins.

Classification

Depending on the cause of the development of liver cirrhosis, the following types of disease are distinguished:

• biliary, caused by damage to the biliary tract;
• toxic and toxic-allergic;
• infectious;
• circulatory, with venous stagnation;
• metabolic and nutritional;
• cryptogenic, when the etiology remains unspecified.

The severity level is set based on existing abnormalities in laboratory tests for liver cirrhosis and the severity of complications. Accordingly, it can be compensated, subcompensated, decompensated.

Symptoms and stages of liver cirrhosis

As liver cirrhosis progresses, it goes through three stages:

1. Initial. Moderate fibrosis is practically asymptomatic. The disease becomes an accidental discovery during periodic medical examinations, medical examinations, and when examining a patient with related pathology.
2. Clinical. Severe fibrosis is accompanied by dysfunction of the organ. The first symptoms of liver cirrhosis are a bitter taste and a feeling of dry mouth, fatigue, irritability, weight loss, bloating, periodic bowel movements, pain in the right hypochondrium after exercise or an error in diet. Later, appetite decreases, nausea, vomiting, belching, yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes, and low-grade body temperature occur. The liver and spleen increase in size, dilated veins and spider veins appear on the abdomen.
3. Terminal. The organ decreases in size. Jaundice, ascites, swelling of the extremities, bleeding from varicose veins of the esophagus, stomach and intestines occur.

Possible reasons

For your information! A set of symptoms such as dry mouth, nausea, weakness and drowsiness, as well as dizziness can bother a person for the following reasons:

• Osteochondrosis (usually the cervical or thoracic spine). In this case, accompanying symptoms will be a crunching sound when turning the head or the entire body, numbness of the limbs. Headache, fainting, and decreased joint flexibility may occur. There is a feeling of chronic fatigue (especially after performing physical activities), etc.
• Spasm of blood vessels in the head caused by impaired blood flow. Associated symptoms: ringing or noise in the ears, disorientation in space, speech impairment, pain in the eyes.
• Poisoning from food, chemicals or alcoholic beverages . When poisoned by various substances, dry mouth, nausea, weakness and dizziness are complemented by symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting. Rapid shallow breathing, dilated pupils, pale skin, chills, convulsions, drowsiness, etc. are possible.
• Head injuries (for example, caused by a fall or during a fight). In this case, the main symptoms will be supplemented by the following signs. These are short-term but frequent loss of consciousness (literally for a few seconds), acute or aching headache. There is noise or ringing in the ears, vomiting, bleeding from the nose and ears (with severe head injuries). There may be clouding of consciousness (including hallucinations, delusions, etc.), the presence of bruises on the face and neck.
• Pregnancy or menstruation period . Both of these phenomena are accompanied by hormonal imbalance. They are characterized by additional symptoms such as pain in the lower abdomen or lower back, vomiting, fatigue and lethargy. Characterized by swelling of the mammary glands, high blood pressure (not observed in all cases), bloating, slight increase in body temperature, mood swings, etc.
• Overdose of drugs. Associated symptoms: stool disorders (constipation or diarrhea), headache of varying intensity, skin rash, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, lethargy, etc.
• Severe physical fatigue and stressful situations. Such conditions may be accompanied by headache, insomnia, and an increase or sharp decrease in blood pressure. May be accompanied by trembling in the limbs, deep breathing, excessive sweating and exacerbation of chronic diseases.
• Hypotension (low blood pressure). In this case, dry mouth, nausea and weakness are complemented by symptoms such as acute headache or migraine. Possible paleness of the skin (especially on the face), a pre-fainting state (up to loss of consciousness).
• Brain tumors of various types. In this situation, it is possible to have both an asymptomatic course of the disease (in the initial stages) and with a full set of characteristic symptoms (in addition to dry mouth, nausea, etc.). For example, the patient may have convulsions, severe headaches, poor coordination, double vision, and vision problems.
• Meningitis. Associated symptoms: acute headache, lack of appetite, persistent thirst, sudden fever. There may also be increased photosensitivity, skin rashes, inability to straighten your legs, and complete impotence.
• Stroke and pre-stroke condition. A stroke is most often accompanied by symptoms such as numbness in the arms or legs, vomiting, and spots before the eyes. Temporary blurred vision, numbness of half the face, slowed speech rate, and impaired muscle tone may occur.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (pancreatitis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, etc.). Gastrointestinal pathologies are characterized by the following symptoms: vomiting, bitterness in the mouth, stool disorders (constipation, diarrhea), etc.

But this is only a small list of diseases accompanied by dry mouth, dizziness, nausea and weakness. In reality there are many more.

One way or another, only a doctor can establish the true cause of this pathological condition.

Stay up to date! Dry mouth combined with a bitter taste in most cases indicates the release of bile into the gastrointestinal tract, some of which penetrates the esophagus.

Also, dryness in combination with weakness and dizziness can be a sign of hypoglycemia (severe decrease in plasma glucose), anemia, vegetative-vascular dystonia, autoimmune diseases (Sjogren's syndrome, etc.).

Diagnostics

Diagnosis and treatment of liver cirrhosis is carried out by a gastroenterologist.
During a conversation with the patient, he identifies predisposing factors to the development of pathology, such as taking alcohol or medications, poor diet, harmful working conditions, hereditary predisposition, and other chronic diseases. External examination and palpation of the right hypochondrium can detect objective signs of liver cirrhosis - yellowness of the skin, mucous membranes, enlargement of the liver, tuberosity of its edge and compaction.

To confirm the diagnosis and detect complications, laboratory and instrumental research methods are used:

• General clinical blood test. Assess signs of anemia and platelet count.
• General urine analysis. Deviations indicate hepatorenal syndrome.
• Blood chemistry. Pay attention to indicators such as AST, ALT, GGTP, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and its fractions, albumin, serum iron, total cholesterol, creatinine, glucose, sodium, potassium, ferritin, ceruloplasmin.
• Blood test for coagulation - coagulogram.
• Level of antinuclear antibodies and alpha-fetoprotein in blood serum.
• Detection of markers of viral hepatitis - HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-HDV, as well as HIV.
• Electrocardiography.
• Ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs.
• Endoscopic examination of the stomach and duodenum, as well as examination of the vessels of the rectum using sigmoidoscopy for dilated veins.
• Determination of cognitive impairment using the number-linking test and other techniques.

Additional diagnostic tests include:

• determination of the average volume of erythrocytes in order to detect alcoholic liver damage;
• average hemoglobin content in a red blood cell;
• feces for occult blood;
• determination of gamma globulin;
• biochemical blood test for total protein, ammonia, urea levels;
• concentration of Α1-antitrypsin;
• antibodies to double-stranded DNA, smooth muscle, hepatorenal microsomes anti-LKM1;
• thyroid hormones – free T4, TSH, antibodies to thyroid peroxidase;
• study of the level of total estradiol in women, androgens in men;
• cryoglobulin content;
• CT or MRI of the abdominal cavity with contrast;
• Ultrasound of the pelvic organs if kidney damage is suspected;
• EchoCG;
• indirect elastography of the liver.

If hepatic encephalopathy is suspected, electrophysiological tests, CT and MRI of the brain are performed. Doppler examination of the vessels of the liver and spleen allows one to evaluate signs of acute or chronic thrombosis. To exclude oncology, including hepatocellular carcinoma, abdominal ultrasound, contrast-enhanced CT or MRI, and liver biopsy are recommended. In case of ascites, fluid is taken from the abdominal cavity and its composition is subsequently analyzed.

Why may shortness of breath and fever be added?

In addition to the main symptoms, shortness of breath and fever may be added.
This happens for various reasons, but most often it is caused by diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Heart diseases

Note! The most dangerous heart pathologies are myocarditis, endocarditis and pericarditis (inflammatory processes).

They are characterized by the following accompanying features :

• chest pain;
• increased blood pressure;
• swelling;
• cough;
• fatigue;
• pale skin;
• temperature increase;
• dyspnea;
• disruptions in the functioning of the heart (it sometimes freezes, sometimes it seems that it is about to “jump out” of the chest).

also characterized by a full set of the above symptoms (except for temperature) .

Keep in mind! This is an extremely dangerous heart disease, manifested by pressing pain in the center of the chest. It is otherwise called “angina pectoris”.

Pathologies of the respiratory system

Among the diseases of the respiratory system, which are usually associated with inflammatory or tumor processes in the lungs and bronchi, there are:

• Pneumonia is an infectious and inflammatory disease of the lungs. At the same time, it is difficult for a person to inhale and exhale. Plus, the process is accompanied by a severe cough, weakness, dry mouth and a sharp increase in body temperature.
• Bronchitis is a disease of the lower respiratory tract. It is characterized by an inflammatory process in the bronchial mucosa. The symptoms in this case are almost the same as in the case of pneumonia. However, the person feels much lighter and does not suffer from high fever (with rare exceptions).
• Lung tumor - in addition to the above symptoms, it is characterized by hemoptysis and severe cough.

Remember! Pathologies that cause shortness of breath and fever are not limited to this list.

Inflammatory cardiovascular diseases, as well as pneumonia and lung tumors (or suspicion of them) require immediate medical attention or calling an ambulance. Self-medication is unacceptable.