QUESTION: Is it possible for a person to develop cirrhosis though he is not a big drinker? Could you please explain a bit about cirrhosis, for we have been given very little information by the doctor.
ANSWER: Cirrhosis is actually a group of diseases that cause serious damage to the body's largest organ the liver. As cirrhosis progresses, normal liver cells are replaced by scar tissue. Since the liver provides the body with very important functions, the disease is often fatal.
The liver is involved in producing blood clotting factors, blood proteins, bile and more than a thousand different enzymes, as well as performing many other crucial roles. Alcohol abuse is by far the leading cause of this disease, which kills more than 30,000 Americans a year.
There are, however, several other conditions that lead to cirrhosis.
A small percentage of people who suffer from chronic hepatitis develop cirrhosis.
Diseases such as hemochromatosis when the body does not handle iron properly and Wilson's Disease when the body handles copper abnormally can cause cirrhosis. Congenital and inherited conditions also cause this liver disease.
Conditions in which the body is not able to utilize sugar properly or deficiencies of specific enzymes in the liver can lead to cirrhosis.
In rare cases, a severe reaction to drugs, environmental toxins, some forms of heart disease, parasitic conditions or obstruction of the bile ducts can cause scar tissue to form on the liver. When cirrhosis of the liver begins, it is often silent, showing no signs or symptoms. But eventually, a sufferer may experience a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, itching, an enlarged liver, increased sensitivity to drugs, vomiting of blood, abdominal swelling and jaundice.
Many patients never develop any symptoms, but lab tests may discover the disease when they are performed for other ailments. Further deterioration of the liver can often be stopped once cirrhosis is diagnosed, if proper treatment is started at once. In the large majority of cases of cirrhosis due to alcoholism, the easiest way to stop the disease is total abstinence from drinking and a wholesome diet, complete with needed nutrients and vitamins.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
