Cirrhosis describes a condition of the liver that occurs when liver cells become damaged leading to the buildup of scar tissue. Excessive repeated alcohol intake remains the most common cause of cirrhosis in the United States, according to the Merck Manual. The buildup of scar tissue inhibits the liver's ability to function, leading to a number of complications, some mild and some severe.
Bruising and Bleeding
The liver produces many different proteins needed in the blood. One protein, known as prothrombin, helps blood to clot. Cirrhosis of the liver inhibits the liver from producing and secreting prothrombin, therefore affecting the blood's ability to clot. Blood that fails to clot causes bruising and bleeding, even with minor cuts or injuries.
Jaundice
The liver produces bile, a yellowish-brown substance, and secretes it through the bile ducts to the gallbladder for storage. Bile performs two functions; to aid in the digestion of fats and to remove bilirubin--a waste product from the breakdown of old red blood cells--from the blood. Cirrhosis causes the bile ducts to become blocked therefore allowing bilirubin to accumulate in the blood. Since bilirubin contains yellow and brown pigments, it causes the skin and whites of the eyes to appear yellow--a condition known as jaundice.
Malnutrition
The liver filters all the blood leaving the stomach and intestines. At any one time the liver contains approximately 13 percent of the body's total blood supply, according to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. The liver processes this blood, filters out waste products and breaks down nutrients into smaller particles the body can absorb and use. When the liver begins to lose function, the body cannot absorb all the nutrients, leading to malnutrition. Symptoms often include weakness and weight loss.
Medication Sensitivity
Because the liver filters all the blood leaving the stomach and intestines, any medications taken also enter the liver. The liver breaks down the medications to clear them from the body. Cirrhosis interferes with this liver function, causing medications to remain in the bloodstream longer. The medications can then build up in the blood producing the desired effects longer than usual. This causes sensitivity to the medication and any side effects caused by the medication.
Infection Susceptibility
The liver also produces factors important to the immune system and helps to filter and remove bacteria from the body. Cirrhosis interferes with this function, impairing the immune system and leaving the body susceptible to infections.
