Cirrhosis of the liver – A common yet preventable liver condition

The liver is one of the important organs of the body responsible for storing glycogen, which the liver breaks up, to release glucose into the bloodstream and provide energy. It processes fats and proteins and provides proteins that are needed to clot blood. It also makes bile, which helps to digest fats. The liver processes all the medicines, but perhaps the most important function it performs is that it helps to remove or process alcohol, poisons, and toxins from the body.

One out of 10 people who drink heavily can develop cirrhosis over a period of time.

Causes:

The liver can break down alcohol, but excessive drinking damages the liver. Sometimes even those who don’t drink a lot or do it socially may also develop cirrhosis, as some people are prone than others to getting their liver damaged. It could be because of a genetic reason.

Chronic infection caused by the hepatitis C or B virus leads to inflammation of the liver. People who have persistent hepatitis B or C infections can develop cirrhosis slowly over a number of years.

Rare causes:

There are other causes which are less common and one of them is autoimmune hepatitis. The immune system normally makes antibodies to fight viruses, bacteria, and germs, but sometimes the immune system makes antibodies against parts of the body. So if the immune system begins to make antibodies against the liver cells, this can cause cirrhosis as the liver cells get damaged.

1. Another rare form of cirrhosis is called biliary cirrhosis where the bile duct gets damaged, inflamed, or scarred and the bile cannot be drained out of the liver.
2. Sometimes obesity leads to a condition where fat begins to build up in the liver, leading to scarring.
3. Severe side-effects of medicines, environmental toxins, and poisons.
4. Certain bacterial or parasitic infections.
5. Sometimes there is an abnormal buildup of iron or copper in the bloodstream and this also leads to cirrhosis.

Symptoms:

1. Feeling weak and tired.
2. Loss of appetite and vomiting.
3. Swelling in the abdomen and edema in the legs.
4. Weight loss.
5. Bruising and bleeding may occur.
6. Jaundice, as bilirubin builds up in the liver.
7. Itching because of the toxins in the liver.
8. In severe cases confusion and forgetfulness develop with the increase of toxins and can lead to coma.
9. There is also the risk of developing cancer of the liver.
10. If bleeding occurs from the varices, then the patient can die.

Treatment:

The treatment begins with treating the underlying cause. Since scarring is unable to be reversed, the aim is to arrest scarring from cause further damage to cells. One of the first steps in treating liver cirrhosis is to stop drinking alcohol completely. Another step is to inform the doctor that you are suffering from cirrhosis when you are prescribed medicines for other illnesses. If the underlying cause is viral hepatitis or autoimmune cirrhosis, then they can be treated with medication. If blood is lost due to bleeding varices or lower GI bleed, there is a loss of iron in the blood and thus blood transfusions may be required frequently. A low-sodium diet and diuretics are given to reduce bloating and edema. If condition gets worse, then a liver transplant may be the only viable option.