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Cirrhosis of the liver
Contributor: KathiG
Cirrhosis of the Liver
Overview
What is Cirrhosis of the Liver?
The liver weighs about 3 pounds and is the largest solid organ in the body. It performs many important functions, such as:
• Manufacturing blood proteins that aid in clotting, oxygen transport and immune system function.
• Storing excess nutrients and returning some of the nutrients to the bloodstream.
• Manufacturing bile, a substance needed to help digest food.
• Helping the body store sugar (Glucose) in the form of glycogen.
• Ridding the body of harmful substances in the bloodstream, including drugs and alcohol.
• Breaking down Saturated Fat and producing cholesterol.
Cirrhosis is a slowly progressing disease in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue, eventually preventing the liver from functioning properly. The scar tissue blocks the flow of blood through the liver and slows the processing of nutrients, hormones, drugs and naturally produced toxins. It also slows the production of proteins and other substances made by the liver.
According to the American Cancer Society, Cirrhosis is the seventh leading cause of death by disease.
Causes
Hepatitis C, fatty liver and alcohol abuse are the most common causes in the U.S., but anything that damages the liver can cause cirrhosis, including:
• Fatty liver associated with obesity and Diabetes.
• Chronic viral infections of the liver (hepatitis types B, C and D; Hepatitis D is extremely rare).
• Blockage of the bile duct, which carries bile formed in the liver to the intestines where it helps in the digestion of fats. In babies, this can be caused by biliary atresia in which bile ducts are absent or damaged, causing bile to back up in the liver. In adults, bile ducts may become inflamed, blocked or scarred, due to another liver disease called primary biliary cirrhosis.
• Repeated bouts of heart failure with fluid backing up into the liver.
• Certain inherited diseases such as:
• Cystic fibrosis.
• Glycogen storage diseases, in which the body is unable to process glycogen, a form of sugar that is converted to Glucose and serves as a source of energy for the body.
• Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, an absence of a specific enzyme in the liver.
• Diseases caused by abnormal liver function, such as hemochromatosis, a condition in which excessive iron is absorbed and deposited into the liver and other organs, and Wilson's disease, caused by the abnormal storage of copper in the liver.
Although less likely, other causes of cirrhosis include reactions to prescription drugs, prolonged exposure to environmental toxins or parasitic infections.
Symptoms
The symptoms of cirrhosis vary with the stage of the illness. In the beginning stages, there may not be any symptoms. As the disease worsens, symptoms may include:
• Loss of appetite.
• Lack of energy (fatigue) which may be debilitating.
• Weight loss or sudden weight gain.
• Bruises.
• Yellowing of skin or the whites of eyes (jaundice).
• Itchy skin.
• Fluid retention (Edema) and swelling in the ankles, legs and abdomen (often an early sign).
• A brownish or orange tint to the urine.
• Light colored stools.
• Confusion, disorientation, personality changes.
• Blood in the stool.
• Fever.
Treatment
Papaya Seeds
The black seeds of papaya have been found beneficial in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver, caused by alcoholism and malnutrition. A tablespoon of juice obtained by grinding the seeds, mixed with ten drops of fresh lime juice, should be given once or twice daily for about a month as a medicine for this disease.
Trailing Eclipta
The herb trailing eclipta, botanically known as eclipta alba, has proved invaluable in cirrhosis of the liver. The juice of all parts of this plant should be taken in doses of one teaspoon, mixed with one teaspoon of Honey, three times daily.
Picrorhiza
Picrorhiza, botanically known as picrorhiza kurroa, is a drug of choice in ayurveda for cirrhosis of the liver among adults. The root of the herb is given in powdered form. A tablespoon of the powder, mixed with an equal quantity of Honey, should be administered thrice daily. In case of accompanying constipation, the dose should be increased to double and should be given with a cup of warm water, three to four times a day. It stimulates the liver to produce more bile, the excretion of which relieves congestion of the liver and the tissues.
Vegetable Juices
The juice of carrots, in combination with spinach juice, has been found beneficial in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver. Spinach juice-200 ml should be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of combined juices. Alternatively, 300 ml of carrot juice, combined with 100 ml each of cucumber and beet juices can be used effectively.
