How Does Cirrhosis Develop?
There are many causes of liver injury such as excessive alcohol consumption, viruses, inherited disorders, drug-related injury and environmental toxin exposure. Injury to the liver leads to inflammation which may be detected by abnormalities in liver-related blood tests. Over time, ongoing injury leads to the development of scar tissue in the liver, a process called fibrosis. Since the liver has a substantial amount of reserve function, mild to moderate amounts of fibrosis usually do not lead to symptoms. However, as the amount of fibrosis increases it can lead to disruptions in the normal shape and function of the liver. Cirrhosis occurs when the normal structure of the liver is disrupted by bands of scar tissue. One of the normal functions of the liver is to filter blood returning to the heart from the digestive system. When cirrhosis is present, the presence of scar tissue causes increased resistance to blood flow through the liver. This results in high pressures developing in the v
