How does hepatitis C affect the liver?
First, HCV enters the blood stream, attaches to the liver cells and begins to reproduce. Then, the liver becomes inflamed. The inflammation causes liver cells to die. Later, in an effort to repair itself, it forms tiny scars. This is called fibrosis. Fibrosis makes it hard for the liver to do its job. As damage continues, many scars are formed and they begin to join together in nodules, leading to the next stage, cirrhosis. Cirrhosis means that large areas of the liver have become permanently scarred from repeated damage. The liver begins to shrink in size and becomes hard. Chronic viral hepatitis is a common cause of cirrhosis, as is alcohol consumption. Scarring prevents blood from flowing freely through the liver, which limits liver function. As cirrhosis worsens, almost all liver function is lost, which leads to liver failure. The liver is unable to clean wastes, toxins, and drugs from the blood, and it can no longer produce clotting factors necessary to stop bleeding. Fluid can bu
