Cirrhosis Of The Liver: Symptoms And Causes

The liver is a crucial organ in the body as it carries out a few necessary bodily functions, such as making vital nutrients, cleaning blood, and ridding the body of harmful substances. Unfortunately, there are many ways in which liver function can be compromised. One of the more serious is cirrhosis of the liver, which is a condition characterized by irreversible scarring of the liver.

When healthy tissue in the liver is continuously damaged, it is replaced with scar tissue, which can block the flow of blood through the liver and eventually cause liver failure. It is caused by many different diseases affecting the liver and has many symptoms patients must watch for.

Symptoms

Symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver all patients should watch out for include insomnia, fatigue, itchy skin, weight loss, nausea, changes in appetite, muscle weakness, liver pain or tenderness, red and blotchy patches on the skin, and blood capillaries on the upper abdomen. These symptoms usually occur during the early stages of the disease. Later stages of cirrhosis include irregular heartbeat, hair loss, dizziness, jaundice, confusion, nosebleeds, vomiting, muscle cramps, and pain in the right shoulder. Many of these symptoms can also appear as symptoms of one of the various causes of cirrhosis of the liver.

Hepatitis

Several forms of hepatitis may lead to cirrhosis of the liver. Hepatitis C is a bloodborne infection most commonly found in North America and Western Europe that may lead to liver damage and eventually cirrhosis. Symptoms usually include yellowing of the eyes, skin, and tongue (jaundice), extreme fatigue, and itching. Cirrhosis may also be caused by hepatitis B and D. Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver while hepatitis D, also a viral infection, causes liver inflammation. Symptoms of the former include abdominal pain, dark urine, jaundice, joint pain, and loss of appetite. Hepatitis D symptoms are quite similar to hepatitis B symptoms and also include jaundice, joint pain, pain in the liver, nausea, and vomiting.