The liver is a large organ located near the upper abdomen that detoxifies harmful materials, purifies the blood and provides other essential nutrients to the body. When the liver becomes scarred, it is said to have cirrhosis. Chronic damage to the organ causes cirrhosis of the liver. Mild cases of the condition can be treated, while severe damage often is irreversible. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that there are a number of causes of cirrhosis of the liver.
Alcoholism
One of the most common causes of liver damage is chronic alcohol abuse. Heavy drinking causes an inflammation of the liver called alcoholic hepatitis. Symptoms of the beginning stages of liver damage include loss of appetite, fever and jaundice, or yellowing of the skin. Repeated drinking over years permanently damages the liver, leading to cirrhosis.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis B occurs as a result of a liver infection. Caused by the hepatitis B virus, the condition can lead to liver cancer or cirrhosis because of the intense scarring left on the liver. Complete liver failure can happen as a result of hepatitis, requiring a liver transplant. Symptoms of hepatitis B typically appear within two months following infection and can include vomiting and fever as well as darkened urine and jaundiced skin coloring. Hepatitis C is a serious viral infection that attacks the liver as well. The infection usually goes unnoticed for years but is typically transferred through contaminated blood and often diagnosed in drug addicts. The liver becomes tender when the symptoms do appear and can be accompanied by muscle and joint pains, fever and poor appetite.
Other Disease
Cystic fibrosis can cause cirrhosis of the liver because the bile duct that carries bile from the liver to the small intestine becomes blocked, causing inflammation that invariably leads to liver damage. Wilson's disease is an inherited disorder that causes excessive amounts of copper to accumulate in the liver and cause the walls to harden. The liver cannot extract the copper and the cirrhosis worsens, creating a life-threatening crisis if left untreated. There are a wide variety of symptoms associated with Wilson's disease that include jaundice, difficulty speaking and swallowing, easy bruising and swelling of the arms and legs.
Drugs
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse reports that additionally, cirrhosis can be caused by reactions to other drugs and medications that affect the liver. Prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals can damage the liver as well as infections that get in the system through parasites. Repeated instances of heart failure such as stroke, heart attacks and hardening of the arteries can disrupt liver functions and lead to cirrhosis.
