Superstar Amitabh Bachchan contracted Hepatitis B virus while undergoing treatment for his near-fatal accident in 1982. The actor was shooting for his film Coolie when he met with the accident. He was told by doctors that his liver lost 75 per cent of its function due to cirrhosis. One of his blood donors was incidentally carrying the Hepatitis B virus which entered his system while transfusion.
But he wants people to know that they should stop discriminating people who are suffering from Hepatitis B. "If I can survive with 25 per cent of my liver, there are others who survive even with 12 per cent. However, that is a stage no one wants to reach."
Experts state that liver is one body organ that is highly resilient and it finally fully fails only when about 80 to 90 per cent of it is damaged.
Liver cirrhosis of the liver is usually diagnosed among alcoholics but Amitabh Bachchan shared that he never drank alcohol. In fact, doctors are seeing many cases of liver cirrhosis among men and women who don't drink alcohol.
Just like any other disease, early detection and awareness are two key needs to eradicate Hepatitis B. There are vaccines available to protect yourself against the disease.
What is Cirrhosis?It is an advanced stage of liver scarring (fibrosis) caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions like hepatitis, alcoholism.
The way our liver functions, it tries to repair itself every time it gets injured by a condition. In the process, it forms scar tissues. However, as liver cirrhosis advances, liver produces more and more scar tissue, making it tough for the liver to carry on with its regular function.
As per experts, the damage done to the liver due to cirrhosis can't be repaired. However, if the condition is diagnosed early and its cause is treated, liver can be protected from further damage.
The biggest challenge about liver cirrhosis is that it has no apparent signs or symptoms. The signs appear when the liver gets damaged.
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