5 factors that increase the risk of cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is a condition in which scarring develops over a long period of chronic or repeated damage to the liver. As the liver tries to repair itself, collagen and other proteins build up in the cells, forming scar tissue and changing the liver’s structure, making it difficult for the organ to function normally.

Cirrhosis often develops slowly and does not cause symptoms in the early stages. As the disease progresses, patients often experience fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, unwanted weight loss, itching, jaundice, easy bruising and bleeding… Below are some factors that can cause cirrhosis.

Liver disease

If you have diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic hepatitis or viral hepatitis, the risk of developing cirrhosis will be higher than normal. These diseases cause fat accumulation and damage to liver cells, over time leading to chronic inflammation and scar tissue formation.

Drinking a lot of alcohol over a long period of time can damage this organ, increasing the risk of cirrhosis. The process by which the liver processes alcohol often creates acetaldehyde, which causes inflammation and kills liver cells. Liver cells are continuously damaged leading to chronic hepatitis. Dead liver cells are replaced by scar tissue (fibrosis), causing the liver to lose its detoxifying function.

Using medication not as prescribed

Long-term use or overdose of some blood pressure medications, pain relievers, antidepressants or some antibiotics weakens the immune system and damages the liver. Adults should take medicine as prescribed by their doctor, and do not arbitrarily buy medicine at pharmacies without being diagnosed with the cause of the disease.

Smoking, exposure to toxins

People with liver diseases such as hepatitis or fatty liver have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis if they smoke. Toxins in cigarette smoke can increase inflammation, promote liver damage and make the disease progress more quickly over time.

Prolonged exposure to some toxic substances in the environment such as lead, cadmium and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) also contributes to promoting liver fibrosis, increasing the risk of progression to cirrhosis.

Obesity

Obesity increases the risk of cirrhosis in many ways: belly fat releases free fatty acids into the blood, causing the liver to be unable to fully metabolize and accumulate excessive fat, directly destroying the liver structure. Being overweight often goes hand in hand with insulin resistance, sugar and fat metabolism disorders, making liver inflammation more serious, and over time the liver loses function due to fibrosis.