Fibrosis and Cirrhosis

 

Anything that damages the liver over many years leads the liver to form scar tissue. Fibrosis is the first stage of liver scarring.

When scar tissue builds up and takes over most of the liver, this is a more serious problem called cirrhosis (pronounced "sir-o-sis"). Scar tissue cannot perform any of the jobs of normal liver cells, and this causes a person with cirrhosis to slowly become ill.

There is no way of predicting who is going to get cirrhosis. Cirrhosis does not happen overnight. Many people who have cirrhosis for 5 to 10 years or more do not show clear signs of illness.

Cirrhosis can be caused by anything that damages the liver after years of irritation, not just alcohol. However, heavy alcohol use and having the hepatitis C virus for a long time (such as 20 to 30 years) increases your risk.

 

 

signs of an unhealthy liver

 

Scroll over image to see the liver change from a healthy liver to a liver with cirrhosis.

 

Over time, cirrhosis can lead to advanced liver disease. Symptoms can include fatigue, difficulty thinking clearly, fluid in the abdomen, bleeding in the intestines, and poor blood clotting.
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