Cirrhosis of liver

Sat, February 28, 2009 1:20 am By James Coolridge

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Cirrhosis of liver

The liver, the largest organ in the body, is a vital organ which keeps the body function properly. It removes or neutralizes poisons from the blood, produces immune agents to control infection, and removes germs and bacteria from the blood. It makes proteins that regulate blood clotting and produces bile to help absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins. So you can’t even imagine without liver.

The disease affecting the liver is found to be

Cirrhosis, which is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). “Because of chronic damage to the liver, scar tissue slowly replaces normal functioning liver tissue, progressively diminishing blood flow through the liver. As the normal liver tissue is lost, nutrients, hormones, drugs and poisons are not processed effectively by the liver. In addition, protein production and other substances produced by the liver are inhibited.”

Causes:
The major causes of Cirrhosis of liver is found to be alcohol abuse, chronic viral infections, use of certain drugs, metabolic disorders, exposure to certain, environmental toxins, blockage of the bile ducts. In the United States, chronic alcoholism and hepatitis C are the most common causes of the disease.

Alcoholic cirrhosis usually develops after more than a decade of heavy drinking. The amount of alcohol that can injure the liver varies greatly from person to person. In men, as few as three to four drinks per day are cited as the cause of alcoholic cirrhosis. Alcohol seems to injure the liver by blocking the normal metabolism of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.

Symptoms:
A long list of symptoms is related to Cirrhosis of the liver. These include frequent indigestion, nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, bad breath and low grade fever. Many people with cirrhosis have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease.

Remedy:
If alcohol excess and dependence is the cause, you must stop drinking alcohol immediately. Once alcohol has damaged the liver, then the liver cells are vulnerable to even small amounts of alcohol. Avoid all alcohol intakes. Eat a well-balanced, high-protein diet (only in consultation with your doctor).Avoid adding salt to meals. Salt may be used in small amounts in cooking. In the later stages, the amount of protein you eat may be reduced from time to time (on the advice of your doctor).Vitamin and mineral supplements may be necessary.