Cirrhosis is the 11th leading cause of death by disease in the United States. Almost one half of these are alcohol related. About 25,000 people die from cirrhosis each year.
Description/Definition
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of normal, healthy liver tissue by fibrotic scar tissue, blocking the flow of blood through the organ and preventing it from working as it should, as well as regenerative nodules leading to progressive loss of liver function. The liver, the largest organ in the body, is vital in keeping the body functioning properly. It removes or neutralizes poisons from the blood, produces immune agents to control infection, and removes germs and bacteria from the blood. It
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But cirrhosis slows the normal flow of blood through the portal vein, which increases the pressure inside.
Varices when blood flow through the portal vein slows, blood from the intestines and spleen backs up into blood vessels in the stomach and esophagus. These blood vessels may become enlarged because they are not meant to carry this much blood. The enlarged blood vessels, called varices, have thins walls and carry high pressure, and thus are more likely to burst. If they do burst, the result is a serious bleeding problem in the upper stomach or esophagus.
Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes cirrhosis causes resistance to insulin. This hormone, produced by the pancreas, enables blood glucose to be used as energy by the cells of the body. If you have insulin resistance, your muscle, fat, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. The pancreas tries to keep up with the demand for insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas cannot keep up with the body's need for insulin, and Type 2 diabetes develops as excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream.
Hepatic Encephalopathy - when the liver does not efficiently function to cleanse the body of toxins and drugs, the mental state of patients may change dramatically and lead to coma, called Hepatic Encephalopathy. Treatment is directed at reducing the protein in the diet, avoiding sedatives and pain medications, and using laxatives and/or
Cirrhosis has many causes, although the most common ones are alcoholism and chronic viral hepatitis B, and C. Cirrhosis can develop as a
* Hepatorenal Syndrome: defined as a rapid deterioration in kidney function that manifests from an acute insult to the liver. Changes in blood flow due to decreased kidney function causes toxins to begin impairment of the kidneys since the liver cannot kill off the toxins before-hand. This condition is considered secondary to portal hypertension for this reason.
Due to her Chronic liver disease and its cirrhosis, Gertha’s liver has impaired blood flow which would increase venous blood pressure and lead to portal hypertension. Portal hypertension results in the development of collateral blood vessels becoming distended with blood, becoming varices. The varices are fragile and do not handle pressure well, they are prone to rupturing. The rupturing has caused bleeds to enter Gertha’s gastrointestinal system and lead to her haematemesis, having her body attempt to expel the accumulation of blood.
There are associations between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and liver cirrhosis. The effect of cardiovascular diseases on the underlying liver disease is well-recognized. The management is vital in the long term care of patients with liver cirrhosis, particularly whom considered for liver transplantation. CVD in cirrhotics may happen as a part of a systemic disease that incorporates the liver e.g.: Wilson 's disease, or a systemic disease which does not include the liver e.g.: atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, or as a limited cardiovascular disease without related hepatic or systemic affiliation (Karasu et al., 2004).
Portal hypertension is a condition in which there is a dramatic increase of blood flow thru the hepatic portal vein. The portal vein is responsible for feeding blood to various parts of the gastrointestinal tract along with the spleen and liver. This condition develops due to an increase resistance of blood flow usually within the liver but can be also caused by pre and posthepatic conditions. However, the end result of this condition can lead to the development of variceal bleeding and ascites. Cirrhosis, scarring of the liver tissue, is the most common cause of portal hypertension due to damage liver cells and their inability to function properly, which causes a dramatic slow down of blood flow thru the organ. Unfortunately, portal hypertension
Hepatitis is a medical condition caused inflammation that effect to the liver(2). It is a term used to describe the swelling of the liver, resulting in permanent damage. When the disease, the patient may feel so painful and powerlessness. This disease can be acute or chronic, and people can die from them (5). Some types of hepatitis are going to pass without causing permanent damage to the liver (8). The term Hepatitis from Greek "hepar" meaning "liver", and the suffix "ittis" meaning "inflammation" (6).
* Other treatments - Cirrhosis of the liver is incurable but, in some cases, treatment can help to reduce the likelihood that the condition will become worse. Options include: treating the underlying cause of liver damage - for example, treating the underlying hepatitis (B or C) virus infection, removal of blood to lower iron levels in haemochromatosis ,making dietary and lifestyle changes - a nutritious low-fat diet. high-protein diet and exercise can help people to avoid malnutrition. Taking certain medications - such as beta-blockers to reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of bleeding, diuretics to remove excess fluid Avoiding certain medications that can make the symptoms worse - such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opiates or sedatives ,having regular medical check-ups - including scans to check for liver cancer, having regular endoscopic procedures to check whether there are varicose veins within the oesophagus or stomach.
cirrhosis. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights
Characterized by progressive tissue injury and scarring, cirrhosis is among the leading causes of chronic liver failure in the United States. Recent research conducted by the National Institutes of Health indicated that the prevalence of cirrhosis, especially in clients diagnosed with Hepatitis C, has increased steadily throughout the past decade and will likely continue to increase in the future (Kanwal et al., 2011). Caused by recurrent tissue damage and inflammation, cirrhosis occurs as healthy hepatocytes (liver cells) are replaced by fibrotic and non-functional scar tissue through natural healing processes. Although liver tissue is normally very resilient, sustained injury eventually
Sign and Symptoms can be Jaundice yellowing of the skin which can occur from high levels of bilirubin in the liver (normal bilirubin levels are 0.1 to 1 mg/DL, Fatigue, Bleeding more easily, Bruising easily, Itchy skin, Fluid accumulation in your abdomen (ascites) may result from the liver being unable to produce albumin to attract water in the blood vessels, swelling in your legs, weight loss, Spider Like blood vessels of your skin, and Portal Hypertension can be caused by the blockage of blood flow through the liver and that causes the blood pressure to rise in the portal vein.
Fibrosis and Cirrhosis are two pathological conditions. Liver fibrosis is first stage of liver scarring characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM), which
The liver is an organ that converts food into energy, absorbs vitamins from a person's diet, removes toxins from the blood, and makes important proteins. Alcoholic liver disease happens when the liver becomes damaged due to alcohol consumption and stops working properly.
Cirrhosis involves a complication in the liver which cause the loss of liver cells and irreversible scarring of the liver. Some of the common causes of the Cirrhosis is the abuse of alcohol fatty liver disease, viral hepatitis B and C. Other possible causes that cause Cirrhosis are Iron buildup in the body, Cystic fibrosis, Copper accumulated in the liver, poorly formed bile ducts, inherited disorders of sugar metabolism and Infection such as Schistosomiasis. Cirrhosis does not show very often signs or symptoms until the liver is damaged extensive. When signs and symptoms do occur According to Mayo clinic
Cirrhosis is a liver disease caused by the damage and death of liver cells affecting the normal functions of the liver in the body (Penny, 2013). The liver functions include the production of clotting protein for blood coagulation, removal of toxic ammonia from the blood, and regulation of fats and carbohydrates to be used by the body (MedineNet, 2015.) In cirrhosis, the liver are limited and/or cannot perform these functions in the body. Liver cirrhosis is characterized by the formation of scarring tissues that blocks the body’s normal blood flow. It interrupts the “close relationship between the liver cells and blood from the portal vein, which allows the liver cells to remove and add substances
Liver failure is the acute failure of the liver to perform its body function. Proteins that allow the blood to clot are not produced so the patient bruises and bleeds easily. A viscous fluid will sometimes collect