SALUD: Cirrhosis, a Leading Cause of Death for Hispanics, Irreversibly Scars

Cirrhosis of the liver occurs when healthy liver tissue is replaced by scarred tissue, resulting in liver dysfunction, blockage of blood through the liver, slowed protein production, and reduced processing of nutrients, hormones, drugs and naturally produced toxins. Hispanics are greatly affected by the deteriorating condition.

Cirrhosis of the liver is a slowly progressing complication of many liver diseases, involving the loss of liver cells and irreversible scarring of the liver. It's caused by fatty liver, viral Hepatitis B and C, and excessive alcohol abuse, causing loss of appetite, weakness, jaundice, easy bruising, itching and fatigue. Chronic liver disease & cirrhosis is the seventh leading cause of death for Hispanics.

Normally, there are no symptoms of cirrhosis in its early stage. This is especially true when Hepatitis C, deemed "the silent epidemic," is behind cirrhosis and liver failure. Hepatitis, itself, can be hard to detect and it can lie undetected for 20 to 30 years. As the disease worsens, sufferers might develop loss of appetite, fatigue, edema, brownish or orange urine, fever, blood in the stool, disorientation, personality shifts and light colored stools. The complications of cirrhosis include variceal bleeding, liver cancer, kidney failure, reduced oxygen in blood, breast enlargement in men, ascites spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, premature menopause, loss of muscle mass, hepatic encephalopathy and hepatopulmonary syndrome. Luckily, most complications can be treated with dietary changes or medicine. Also, almost all complications can be cured via liver transplantation.

Hispanics are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to die from the 10 leading causes of death, but Hispanics manage to have higher death rates from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, as well as diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease and Control. Mexicans, in particular, are nearly twice as likely to die from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis as whites. Also, Hispanics are likely to develop alcoholic liver disease at a younger age than non-Hispanic whites and blacks, according to the journal "Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research."

Cirrhosis of the liver can be diagnosed with physical exams, blood tests, computerized tomography (CT scan), ultrasound, radioisotope scan and biopsy. While there is no cure for cirrhosis of the liver, there are treatments that can minimize and delay damage to liver cells, and reduce complications.

When cirrhosis is caused by alcohol abuse, sufferers are asked by experts to immediately discontinue the consumption of alcohol to halt the progression of cirrhosis. If hepatitis instigated the disease, a person should visit a doctor for a steroid or antiviral drug prescription to reduce liver cell injury. Also, if an autoimmune disease, Wilson's disease or hemochromatosis prompted the disease, there are various treatments available.

Preventing cirrhosis of the liver is a matter of abstaining from heavy alcohol consumption. Those who consume more than two drinks a day face increased risk of developing cirrhosis. Avoiding high-risk behaviors, taking care synthetic chemicals and vaccinations against hepatitis reduces the likelihood of developing cirrhosis. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating well-balanced meals and taking vitamins also limits the risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver.