Liver Cirrhosis

Overview

Liver cirrhosis is a serious condition resulting in the permanent scarring of the liver. The condition can deeply affect liver function and even lead to its damage and failure. It can be triggered by underlying liver conditions or disorders including hepatitis. Alcoholism can also lead to cirrhosis.

If the liver is injured due to an infection or uncontrolled alcoholism, the organ tries to heal itself from the unaccounted-for pressure. During this self-repairing process, scar issues are formed, making it difficult for the liver to do its job. Cirrhosis is a result of years of liver damage, and if it gets worse, more scarred tissues will form. The condition may even culminate into a life-threatening stage.

What is Liver cirrhosis?

Liver cirrhosis is a condition where healthy tissues are replaced by scar tissues that pose obstructions to normal liver function. The scar tissues block blood and oxygen flow through liver tissues, thus, slowing its functions down. One's liver is then unable to filter out toxins or metabolise nutrients.

Liver cirrhosis is a later stage of liver disease and may result from chronic hepatitis. As the liver tries to repair itself from the ongoing inflammation due to hepatitis, scar tissues are formed. It is a progressive condition which gets worse over time. By that, it’s implied that the scar tissues continue to form more rapidly. The final stage of liver cirrhosis may be liver failure.

Stages of Liver Disease/Cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis is a progressive condition which may take years to develop or even trigger symptoms. To understand the condition, it's important to trace the various stages leading to liver cirrhosis. Here are the phases experienced by an affected individual:

Steatosis

This stage of liver disease is characterised by the inflammation of the liver or the bile duct. Commonly experienced symptoms at this stage are abdominal discomfort and pain as the body tries to fight the infection. The symptoms are curable at this stage and if well-managed, the disease can be prevented from crossing to stage 2.

Fibrosis

A lot of people only realise that they have a liver disease at this stage, as the symptoms before it go unnoticed or unreported. The inflammation becomes more serious affecting the natural blood flow in the liver. At this stage, the liver struggles to do its job but the condition can still be eliminated with proper care and treatment.

Cirrhosis

At the cirrhosis stage, healthy tissues are replaced by scarred tissues in the liver. It causes them to become lumpy or hard. This is a rather complicated stage of liver disease that can be hard to come back from. The scar tissue obstructs the flow of blood through the portal vein at this point, causing it to flow into the spleen.

Liver Failure

This is the final stage, where the liver stops functioning. Healthcare professionals must be consulted immediately to avoid these life-threatening complications.

Symptoms of Liver Cirrhosis

Some commonly experienced symptoms of liver cirrhosis include tiredness and weakness, itchiness of the skin, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, vomiting, nausea, stomach and muscle cramps, muscle weakness etc. These symptoms are usually observed in the early stages of liver cirrhosis. However, remember that some people may not experience any notable symptoms at all, at the early stages.

As liver cirrhosis gets worse, symptoms like personality alterations, memory loss, disorientation and confusion, sleeping pattern disruption, easy bruising or bleeding, internal bleeding resulting from enlarged veins and oedema (swelling of feet, ankles or legs) shall be triggered. Alongside stomach aches, stomach swelling may result (also known as ascites). Finally, severe itching, discolouration of urine and jaundice are likely to affect the individual.

Causes of Liver Cirrhosis

The two most common causes of liver cirrhosis include viral infections (hepatitis B and C ) of the liver and unregulated alcohol consumption. Long-time alcoholism has been recorded as a major cause of liver cirrhosis, developing over the years. People with liver disease must avoid alcohol at all costs as a precaution.

Apart from that, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has also been connected to liver cirrhosis. Even though a small percentage, of patients with the fatty liver condition have been known to have portrayed symptoms of liver cirrhosis. People with obesity, high blood cholesterol and type 2 diabetes can have fatty liver and, thus, run the risk of having liver cirrhosis.

Liver Cirrhosis Diagnosis and Tests

After liver cirrhosis is detected through possibly a routine blood test, further tests are conducted to confirm the diagnosis. Such tests include laboratory tests which check for bilirubin levels and thus, signs of liver malfunction. Blood is tested for creatinine to determine kidney functionality. After that, the individual’s INR (international normalised ratio) is checked to establish the blood’s ability to clot. Finally, one shall also be tested for hepatitis viruses.

Imaging tests may be conducted to note whether or not the liver has stiffened or hardened. MRE, MRI, CT and ultrasound may be recommended according to necessity. Finally, a biopsy is done or a tissue sample is collected and tested by the healthcare professionals to pinpoint the severity of liver cirrhosis.

Treatment of Liver cirrhosis

While liver cirrhosis cannot be cured in the traditional sense, its symptoms can be managed and the overall condition can be stopped from getting worse. Certain lifestyle tweaks, for example, shall be a boon to an individual looking to get better.

Actively reducing alcohol consumption and sticking to a daily exercise routine shall help, to start with. Individuals can also make some changes in their diet plan to include more healthy, nutritious meals as malnutrition is common in individuals with liver cirrhosis.

Medications to cure the symptoms of liver cirrhosis include creams and ointments that help with the itching, medicines to help with high blood pressure and diuretics in combination with a diet that’s low in salt (helps reduce swelling by controlling fluid levels in the body).

Preventive Measures for Liver cirrhosis

Preventative measures for liver cirrhosis include maintaining a healthy lifestyle, by indulging in a healthy diet, maintaining a proper weight range and exercising regularly. Another way to make things easy for your liver is to avoid consumption of too much alcohol. Also, stick to only taking the necessary medication and abide by the prescribed amount that is to be taken. Routine liver disease screening shall also give you an upper hand in its management if detected.

Myths and Facts Related to Liver cirrhosis

Here are some popularly believed myths related to liver cirrhosis and the correct facts to prove them false:

Myth 1: Liver Cirrhosis Only Happens to Alcoholics
Fact: Liver cirrhosis does not just happen to alcoholics. The stiffened/scarred condition of the liver can be triggered by other circumstances such as one where the immune system attacks the liver, drugs inducing liver disease, liver injury, etc.

Myth 2: I Will Not Have Liver Cirrhosis as There are No Symptoms
Fact: A lot of individuals who have been affected by liver cirrhosis only knew about their condition later on. Sometimes, symptoms may not manifest in the traditional form, as the liver can perform bodily functions to some extent. Professional diagnosis is necessary in such a case.

Myth 3: Liver Cirrhosis Can Be Reversed
Fact: Even though the liver is a highly regenerative organ, it has to be in proper working condition to be able to do its job effectively. Cirrhosis causes extensive scarring of the tissues, which is why the liver’s regenerative power becomes restricted. Thus, cirrhosis may not be reversed in most cases.