Cirrhosis

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Cirrhosis is the repacement of normal liver tissue with non-living scar tissue. It is always related to another disease of the liver.

Your liver is extremely important. It processes everything we eat and drink into energy and nutrients. It also removes unwanted substances from your blood.

Cirrhosis causes hard scarring that replaces soft healthy tissue. If it not treated the liver can not work properly and can fail.

Cirrhosis is a chronic disease that can take many years to occur. One of the most common causes is alcoholism . Hepatitis C is the second leading cause, hepatitis B and D can also cause cirrhosis.

The third leading cause is nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This occurs from fatty build up usualy in patiends with diabetes, obesity and poor eating habits.

Bile duct disease is another cause. This causes the bile duct to back up bile into the liver causing it to swell and can lead to cirrhosis.

Genetic diseases are also causes including Wilsons disease, hemochromatosis, glycogen storage disease, Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency and autoimmune hepatitis.

The cause of mine is from Autoimmune Hepatitis, which I will make a post for another time.

Early on, cirrhosis usually causes little to no symptoms. As it progresses it can cause :

loss of appetite

tiredness

nausea

weight loss

abdominal pain

spide-like blood vessels

severe itching

Complications that may occur can be :

Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and/or eyes

Gallstones

Bruising and bleeding easily

Fluid build up and swelling of the legs and abdomen

Hepatic Encephalopathy, toxins build up in the brain that causes both mental and physical complications

Portal Hypertension

The symptoms I have experienced are swelling of the legs later on in the day, tiredness, itching, yellow eyes, and pain where my liver is.

The complications I have from it are portal hypertension, which is a blocked portal vein causing pressure, enlarging the spleen and causing low platelet count.

Treatment is usually medication as well as trying to life as healthy a life as possible. If it progresses or medication does not stall or slow progression a transplant will be needed.

I am on medication now. I take azathioprine and propranol for the cirrhosis/autoimmune hepatitis and my portal hypertension. I need blood work done every 3 months to check the progress. My next test will be in July. Hopefully it is the same as my last test if not better.