Cirrhosis Research Paper

Cirrhosis
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Abstract
Cirrhosis occurs when the liver scars. It is brought about by various conditions and liver illnesses, for instance chronic abuse of alcohol, and hepatitis or viral infections. In the United States, liver cirrhosis is the 7th leading cause of mortality due to illness. The signs and symptoms of cirrhosis include weakness; skin yellowing because of the buildup of bilirubin within the blood; fatigue; weight loss and appetite loss. Given that individuals who have early-stage liver cirrhosis typically do not have any symptoms, the disease is usually first identified through a habitual check up or blood test.
Background
Cirrhosis is basically the scarring of the liver. It is brought about by various conditions and liver illnesses, for instance chronic abuse of alcohol, and hepatitis or viral infections. The disease arises in response to liver damage over the course of several years. The damage of the liver done by this disease cannot be undone. However, if diagnosis is done early and the cause of cirrhosis is treated, then more liver damage could be stopped. It is noteworthy that as the disease advances, increasingly more scar tissue develops, and this will make it hard for the liver to function (WebMD, 2014). Liver cirrhosis that has progressed could be life-threatening.
Incidence
In the United States, liver cirrhosis is the 7th leading cause of mortality due to illness. Men are more likely compared to women to be affected by liver cirrhosis. Roughly 25,000 persons die annually from liver cirrhosis. Approximately ½ of those who pass away because of this disease are alcoholics. Cirrhosis is chiefly caused by Hepatitis C, followed by consumption of alcohol (Boyer, 2011).
Signs and symptoms
A patient who has cirrhosis might have few or no signs and symptoms of liver ailment. The signs and symptoms of cirrhosis are: weakness; skin yellowing because of the buildup of bilirubin within the blood; fatigue; weight loss and appetite loss. Other symptoms include abdominal pain or nausea; itchy skin; swelling in the legs; bruising easily; ascites or buildup of fluid within the abdomen; and bleeding easily (Mayo Clinic, 2014).
Predisposing Factors
Predisposing risk factors are the factors that increase the likelihood of a person to get or develop a condition or sickness. One can get liver cirrhosis with or with no predisposing risk factors. Nonetheless, the more risk factors that one has, the higher the probability of getting the disease. The predisposing risk factor cirrhosis: Medical Condition: this essentially includes persistent infection with Hepatitis D, C, or B. Some acute viral Hepatitis D, C or B become continual, thereby resulting in inflammation of the liver as well as injury. With time, this could develop into liver cirrhosis (Micheli, 2010). The widespread viral infections include the following: Hepatitis B virus infection: the prevalence of infection of this condition is highest amongst Pacific Islanders as well as Asians. It is second highest amongst African Americans. Acute infection with Hepatitis C: roughly 10 to 15 percent of individuals who have chronic Hepatitis C end up getting liver cirrhosis, typically over the course of several years. Hepatitis D: this essentially affects individuals with Hepatitis B (Boyer, 2011).
Environmental Factors
Excessive drinking of alcohol is the primary environmental factor. Too much drinking of alcohol in the long-term puts one at an increased risk for getting this illness. Alcohol is generally poisonous to liver cells. In addition, alcohol also harms the liver by changing the way in which the body digests food. Individuals that engage in excessive alcohol drinking also have the tendency of having poor diet, and this might as well contribute to liver cirrhosis (WebMed, 2014). Most cirrhosis will arise as a result of abuse of alcohol; however, the disease does not develop in every person who consumes alcohol.
Diagnosis
Since individuals who ha...