Cirrhosis Of The Liver

The liver is an organ which plays an important role in maintaining a healthy and functional body.  As one of the largest organs in the human body, the liver is necessary for survival.  Cirrhosis of the liver is an ongoing, long-term disease which results in damage to liver tissue preventing the liver from performing properly.  Considering the liver is one of the most essential organs in the body, reduced or limited function can be life threatening.  Cirrhosis of the liver results in scarring of liver tissue which can impair the liver’s ability to manage infections, remove toxins in the blood, process drugs and regulate clotting of the blood.  As the disease progresses the liver loses the ability to replace damaged cells with healthy cells which eventually causes liver failure.

What Causes Cirrhosis of the Liver?
Cirrhosis of the liver can be caused by a number of factors.  The most common causes in the United States are heavy alcohol consumption and hepatitis C which cause damage to the liver.  Other causes include: obesity, coronary artery disease, protein malnutrition, certain medications, genetics and infections.  Any condition that results in damage or scar tissue forming on the liver may lead to cirrhosis, however 30-50 percent of cases diagnosed lack a known cause.

Symptoms of Cirrhosis.
It may take years of damage before cirrhosis is diagnosed.  For this reason many people do not experience or notice symptoms until the liver begins to stop working properly.  Cirrhosis of the liver may result in fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, fever, jaundice, fluid retention and abdominal pain.

Diagnosis and Treatment.
A biopsy of the liver can confirm cirrhosis, however this procedure carries a risk of serious complications.  For this reason liver biopsies are generally performed only on patients whose liver problems are unclear or unable to be confirmed as cirrhosis by other methods.  In many cases a diagnosis of cirrhosis is based on patient’s history, the presence of symptoms common to cirrhosis, medical tests and even physical palpation of the liver.

Treatment varies based on the suspected cause of cirrhosis.  Depending on the extent of damage to the liver and whether complications are present treatment can range from lifestyle changes to hospitalization.  Avoiding alcohol and other drugs is necessary to prevent further damage to the liver.  Whenever possible medications are prescribed to treat specific conditions, however in extreme cases a liver transplant may be the only option to prevent complete liver failure.

The goal of treatment is to slow the progress of the disease and recovery varies depending on the cause and advancement of the cirrhosis.  Since symptoms most often do not present in the early stages, the disease might be very advanced by the time a diagnosis is made.  Unfortunately half of the people diagnosed with severe alcohol related cirrhosis will succumb to the disease within two to five years.  If the cirrhosis is not advanced and treatment slows the progress it is possible to live a relatively normal life with cirrhosis as long as special care is taken to avoid further damage to the liver.