Chronic Liver Disease
With a number of functions -- including detoxification, protein synthesis, and the production of chemicals that are necessary for digestion -- the human liver is vital.
It is reddish brown and has four unequal sized lobes; usually weighs about 3.5 pounds and is the largest gland in the human body. It is located just below the diaphragm in the body's right upper abdominal quadrant.
The liver plays a major role in the body's metabolic processes as well -- glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, some hormone production.
The liver produces bile -- which is an alkaline compound that helps in digestion by changing fat (lipid) molecules to a more digestible format.
The liver's detoxification and synthesis of micronutrients are vital -- short-term liver dialysis is possible, but a person cannot exist without a functioning liver (Virtual Liver, 2008).
Cirrhosis of the Liver
Cirrhosis is the result of chronic liver disease in which liver tissue is replaced by care tissue of fibrosis.
The most common causes of cirrhosis are alcoholism, hepatitis B and C, and fatty liver disease (Mayo Clinic, 2010).
Symptoms of Cirrhosis
Ascites -- Fluid retention in the abdominal cavity, one of the most common complications. Causes risk of infection and poor quality of life.
Jaundice -- yellowing of the skin, mucus membranes or the eyes caused by an overproduction of bilirubin in the blood due to partial liver shutdown.
Liver Encephalopathy -- confusion, altered levels of consciousness and psychotic episodes, even coma, as a result of liver failure and toxin buildup.
Abnormal Nerve Function -- nerve endings fire uncontrollably or are painful.
Portal Hypertension -- high blood pressure in the portal vein that delivers blood...
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