Cirrhosis

When thinking about cirrhosis I most commonly associate this liver disease with alcoholism. Cirrhosis is “a condition in which the liver slowly deteriorates and is unable to function normally due to chronic or long lasting injury.” What this means is that our healthy liver tissue is ultimately replaced with scar tissue causing blockage for blood flow. The liver plays a large role in our body’s ability to metabolize food which is the process of turning food into energy. Because the liver has many functions it is necessary for it to be healthy. Scar tissue is formed when the liver is subject to severe or long lasting damage and is unable to regenerate its cells back. This process of scar tissue accumulation happens over a long time span. Depending on the stage that the individual is in with the cirrhosis diagnosis their liver will still function, but as time goes on and the buildup gets worse the liver could end up failing. If an individual’s cirrhosis is this severe they would most likely be placed on the organ transplant list, in hopes of receiving a new liver that will be able to perform all of the functions. 

Cirrhosis can be caused by many diseases. As previously mentioned alcoholism is a leading cause. The excessive consumption of alcohol can cause liver disease, however for an individual to develop cirrhosis from alcohol consumption it has to be over years of abuse of the substance. Another disease that is commonly associated with causing cirrhosis is hepatitis C this disease causes the liver to swell. Hepatitis C is spread through blood contamination. Just like alcoholism, it takes a long time for signs of cirrhosis to be seen if the individual has hepatitis C. The last cause that will be discussed is that of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease this is fat buildup within the liver. This can be caused by high blood pressure, diabetes and even individuals who are considered to be overweight. 

If diagnosed with cirrhosis an individual can expect many complications due to the disease. Furthermore, many individuals do not realize that they have cirrhosis until they are either experiencing symptoms or being examined for something else. People should be aware of their family medical history to see if other members have suffered from cirrhosis. This could lead to their potential diagnosis and can provide insight. Cirrhosis can also be determined if someone is getting blood work done, their blood will show abnormal liver enzyme levels indicating further examination. Cirrhosis can lead to complication and possibly being diagnosed with other diseases or illnesses. Liver cancer is commonly correlated with cirrhosis. Another symptom that cirrhosis can lead to is "bleeding and easily being bruised", this is because the production is delayed or working slowly potentially stopping the proteins necessary for blood clotting. 

People can take preventive measures that could reduce chances of cirrhosis. One of the major things that people can do to prevent cirrhosis is be cautious of what you are consuming, whether it be alcohol consumption to your eating habits and nutritional intake. This is probably the most important thing that someone can due which could not only prevent cirrhosis but also many other diseases.  

However, if diagnosed with cirrhosis people may experience loss of appetite possibly leading to malnutrition. Another symptom is constantly feeling weak and tired. The liver is one of the most important organs in our body it “removes harmful substances from your blood.” Having cirrhosis can delay the functions that the liver does and therefore cause complications. 

https://www.healthtap.com/user_questions/701252