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Cirrhosis Disease
The liver is the largest organ in the body, weighing up to 2.5 percent of total lean body mass. Located in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen, the liver varies in size and shape, depending on each person's anatomy. Its main function is to metabolize substances in the blood in preparation for excretion, although it has many other important functions, including synthesis of most essential proteins, production of bile, and regulation of nutrients such as glucose, cholesterol, and amino acids. Habitual drinking of alcohol can damage the liver. There are 3 types of damage: alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. The amount of damage depends on the amount of alcohol used and how long the drinking continues. Cirrhosis is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Because of chronic damage to the liver, scar tissue slowly replaces normal functioning liver tissue, progressively diminishing blood flow through the liver.
Cause of Cirrhosis Disease
Some common causes of Cirrhosis Disease follows:
- Autoimmune diseases
- Obstruction of outflow of blood from the liver (i.e., Budd-Chiari syndrome)
- Heart and blood vessel disturbances
- Alpha 1 -antitrypsin deficiency
- High blood galactose levels
- High blood tyrosine levels at birth
- Glycogen storage disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes
Symptoms of Cirrhosis Disease
The following are the common symptoms of cirrhosis:
- Jaundice - yellowing of the skin and eyes.
- Kidney failure
- Liver encephalopathy
- Muscle loss
- Poor appetite
- Portal hypertension
- Redness of palms
- Salivary gland enlargement in cheeks
- Shrinking of testes
- Weakness
- Weight loss
- Lethargy
- Bleeding from varices
- And spidery veins under the skin.
Treatment of Cirrhosis Disease
Some treatment of Cirrhosis Disease :
- The goal of medicine with regard to the liver is to prevent liver disease and, if it is diagnosed, to stop its progression toward cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is an end-stage disease with a poor prognosis and can require a liver transplant if liver failure occurs.
- Thus, lifestyle changes that support liver health, especially abstention from alcohol, are the cornerstone of treatment for liver disease.
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