The liver is one of the most vital organs in the human body. It has an innate ability to recover and regenerate itself from any disease-induced injury or minor damage. In case of severe injuries, the liver loses its ability to reverse the damage caused to it till the patient receives medical assistance.
One such severe damage to the liver fibres is liver cirrhosis. It is late-stage scarring of the liver tissues caused by chronic liver diseases such as hepatitis B or C and excessive alcohol intake. Another major cause of the disease is poor lifestyle choices.
Consuming alcohol in excessive amounts leads to fat deposits on the liver walls. This layer of fats in the initial stages of AFLD can be reversed by restricting alcohol intake, provided we detect the disease early
NASH is a disease wherein poor lifestyle choices lead to the deposit of fat mass layers on the liver walls. The fat mass on the liver hampers the functioning of the liver, which struggles to restore itself to its initial healthy stage, intensifying the scars on the liver walls
Chronic liver diseases, including hepatitis B and C, severely inflames the liver, forming scar tissues on the liver fibres. Initially, these scars do not show any symptoms of liver damage. As the disease progresses to an advanced stage, the symptoms become more visible, and at this stage, we can not reverse these damages without liver damage treatment
Hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer, mutates in the liver cells in a carcinogenic (cancerous) manner, leading to a cancerous tumour. This tumour forms scar tissues on the liver, disrupting normal functioning
Excessive iron present in the body causes Hemochromatosis, where the body cannot process the excess iron settled on the liver walls. This extra iron in the body scars the liver walls causing severe damage to the liver tissues. If we leave this disease unattended, it leads to liver cirrhosis and will require a liver cirrhosis treatment
Wilson’s disease is the presence of excessive amounts of copper in the body. This excess copper settles on the liver walls causing severe damage to the liver cells and scaring them. This damage caused to the liver cells further leads to liver cirrhosis
Besides these, there could be other causes, including biliary atresia, galactosemia, Alagille syndrome, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis and overdose of some medicines that cause damage to the liver.
Hypertension in the Portal veins that supply blood to the liver
Oedema and Ascites, the swelling of limbs and abdomen
Splenomegaly, swelling of the spleen
Continued bleeding and hampered blood clotting
Exposure to disease-causing pathogens
Severe malnourishment
Hepatic encephalopathy (the buildup of toxins in the brain)
Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
Bone diseases