What Is Cirrhosis Of The Liver?

By kevin

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The liver is the largest internal organ in the body and performs many essential functions. Those include transporting oxygen, aiding in blood clotting, breaking down fat, storing and returning nutrients, and ridding the body of toxins. The most common toxins the liver filters out of the bloodstream are drugs and alcohol.

When the liver is subject to injury, it tries to repair itself. Each time it does so, scar tissue forms. In the early stages, this scarring is referred to as fibrosis. However, as injury continues, the liver will have increasing difficulty functioning. This advanced stage of scarring is known as “cirrhosis.”

1. What Is Liver Cirrhosis?

Liver cirrhosis is a condition characterized by excessive scarring of the liver tissue. As the liver is forced to repeatedly heal itself by replacing damaged tissue with scar tissue, it begins to lose its ability to perform vital functions, such as processing natural toxins, drugs, hormones and nutrients.

Cirrhosis is an advanced stage of liver disease. It is slow-acting and can take decades to develop. Depending on a person’s overall general health, genetics and lifestyle, it can take up to 30 years to progress. Once cirrhosis occurs, the damage is irreversible. However, maintenance treatment may be an option.