The more you drink, the more you put yourself at risk for developing cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is a disease of the liver. It is a progressive disease wherein the tissues of the organ are slowly being replaced by hard, scar tissues. Because of the scarring, the liver eventually stops functioning normally as its blood supply diminishes. With the diminishing blood flow, the liver will not be able to process the nutrients as well as hormones that pass through it, nor will it be able to filter out toxins and drugs. Since the liver is no longer capable of filtering out toxins from the body, toxins build up, leading to complications and organ failure. In the long run, some patients become dependent on dialysis and medications for maintenance.
Causes of Cirrhosis
There are a lot of factors that can cause cirrhosis. For one, preexisting medical conditions such as diabetes as well as obesity can cause cirrhosis. Cirrhosis can also be caused by viral infections such as hepatitis B, C, as well as D. Two, genes also play a role, and some inherited diseases that can cause cirrhosis are cystic fibrosis and hemachromatosis.
Alcohol, as mentioned earlier, is also one of the leading causes of cirrhosis. Because of years of heavy drinking, the liver becomes inflamed, and in time, scarring of the liver tissues occurs. This then leads to alcoholic liver disease, the end stage of which is cirrhosis.
Drinking heavily can have many negative results. In addition to health problems, you could also end up in jail for breaking traffic rules or for injuring someone. Click here to know more about some of the negative consequences of heavy drinking.
Symptoms of Cirrhosis
Some of the symptoms of cirrhosis include easy fatigability as well as appetite loss. There is also weight loss, and in some people, rapid weight gain. In addition to this, people with cirrhosis also have jaundice or yellowish coloration of the skin and the eyes. Other symptoms include brownish urine and lighter-colored stools. Some even have spots of blood in their stools.
Edema is also very common, and it is oftentimes located in the lower extremities as well as abdomen. This is due to fluid retention.
Cirrhosis also causes some mental problems such as confusion and disorientation, with some changes in personality.
Diagnosis of Cirrhosis
Diagnosis is made through a variety of physical examinations and laboratory tests. Biopsy is also prescribed.
Treatment of Cirrhosis
Treatment of cirrhosis consists of preventing additional damage to the liver, so cessation of drinking alcohol is advised. In addition to this, medications are also given to treat the symptoms as well as treat the complications brought about by cirrhosis. Some medications given to patients with cirrhosis are antidiuretics to prevent edema. Beta-blockers are also given to decrease hypertension. Finally, for severe cirrhosis, liver transplantation surgery is recommended.
Prevention of Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis caused by alcohol is a very dangerous disease. People who drink heavily are advised to avoid alcohol to reduce the risk of developing cirrhosis. In addition to alcohol cessation, the patient is also advised to eat the right types of food, get into a regular exercise program, develop better sleeping habits, and stop smoking, if the patient smokes.
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Jennifer Dahlke is an online writer for several health blogs. She mostly writes about diseases caused by one’s lifestyle such as drinking, doing drugs, or smoking.
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