The liver is the second largest organ in the body. It is in the upper part of the abdominal cavity and on the right beneath the diaphragm so it is protected by the ribs. It weighs about 3 pounds and it is divided into main lobes, the right and left. The lobes contain liver cells and passage ways for the blood circulation that are called sinusoids. Cirrhosis of the Liver is the chronic inflammation of the liver, which results in scar tissue replacing the normal liver tissue. The scar tissue of the liver blocks the flow of blood through the organ and disrupts the normal functions of the liver. 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. The liver converts glucose to glycogen and stores it for latter use as a source of energy. It stores iron and manufactures elements essential for blood clotting. The liver also breaks down old red blood cells and converts the hemoglobin into bilirubin. Symptoms: Constipation or diarrhea, upset stomach, fatigue, weakness, poor appetite, weight loss, enlarged liver, vomiting, red palms, and jaundice. As the largest organ in your body, your liver plays a greatly multi functional role. And, as such, persons dealing with cirrhosis often experience difficulty digesting fat in their diet as well. A good guideline to use for your fat intake would be to try and keep the total calories of fat in your diet to around 25%. And, as a general principle for a healthy diet, and for its liver protecting qualities, try to ingest a good portion of that fat from Omega-3 fatty acids, found in food such as salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed oil. People with liver disease are at risk for getting infections, this can cause an even more severe disease. There is vaccines that can be administered to prevent some of the infections that can occur. There are vaccines for hepatitis A and B, and pneumonia. The liver, as the principle detoxifying organ in the body, responds to alcohol the way it does to any other poison. It tries to protect the body by minimizing the amount of alcohol that enters the blood stream where it can travel to other organs and cause damage. The individual, in the meantime, is drinking for some reason. In a cirrhotic liver, both major freeways are constantly backed up with traffic, because the fatty tissue and scarring has blocked vessels throughout the liver...not only the major highways themselves, but even the thousands of smaller highways and short-cuts the liver has been using for years trying to keep itself working. This is an irreversible condition and with this in mind the person should avoid any kind of risk to worsen the condition. The treatment given is usually for the underlying cause and the person has to lead a healthy life style to prevent further deterioration in their condition. It is best to avoid consumption of alcohol at any cost.
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