Abhinay’s Death at 44: What Was the Liver Ailment That Claimed the Actor’s Life?

Popular Telugu actor Abhinay passed away at the age of 44 after battling a prolonged liver ailment for several years. Abhinay, known for his role in Thulluvatho Ilamai, had also appealed for financial

assistance for his medical treatment sometime back. “I do not know if I will be around for longer,” he said in a widely circulated video after disclosing that doctors told him that he would only live for another year and a half. According to news reports, Abhinay was battling cirrhosis – a chronic condition where the liver is permanently damaged by scar tissue, which replaces healthy tissue and impairs its function. This scarring is caused by many factors and reduces the liver's ability to perform its duties, leading to serious complications like portal hypertension, fluid buildup, and liver failure.

What is liver cirrhosis?

Cirrhosis of the liver is a late stage of chronic liver disease, where a significant amount of your healthy liver tissue turns to scar tissue. Doctors say scarring comes from long-term inflammation in your liver, which causes hepatitis. Slowly, when there is too much scar tissue, it prevents your liver from working properly, causing liver failure. According to experts, cirrhosis worsens as scar tissue builds up in your liver. In the beginning, your body compensates for the damage, and you might not notice any symptoms, a condition known as compensated cirrhosis. As liver function declines, symptoms develop – leading to decompensated cirrhosis.

How does cirrhosis affect your body?

octors say scarring in your liver blocks blood and oxygen from flowing through your liver tissues. This reduces your liver’s ability to filter toxins, process nutrients, and produce bile and essential proteins. Scar tissue can also compress important blood vessels, including the portal vein, leading to portal hypertension. Cirrhosis is a very common condition and is a significant cause of hospitalization and death, especially after middle age. In the United States, it affects around 0.25 per cent of all adults and about 0.50 per cent of adults between the ages of 45 and 54 years.

What causes liver cirrhosis?

Chronic inflammation triggers cirrhosis in your liver. Any chronic liver disease that causes inflammation can lead to cirrhosis, and a few common causes include:

Alcohol

It happens when the liver is damaged due to long-term and heavy alcohol use. Alcohol may be the most well-known cause of liver cirrhosis, but nonalcoholic causes are also common.

Metabolic dysfunction

It is a chronic damage from excess fat storage in your liver. It’s related to metabolic factors like high blood lipids, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

Hepatitis C infection

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that becomes chronic in most people. It’s now curable with antivirals, but many people don’t realize they have it.

Hepatitis B infection

It is a viral infection that may become chronic in a minority of people. If it does, you’ll have it for life. It’s treatable, but not curable.

Signs and symptoms of cirrhosis

According to doctors, there are many signs and symptoms of cirrhosis, but they may not appear until late in the process. However, these signs become more recognizable as your liver function declines. A few early symptoms include:

• Nausea or loss of appetite
• Feeling weak and tired
• Feeling generally ill
• Upper abdominal pain
• Visible blood vessels that look like spiders
• Redness on the palms of your hands
• Jaundice
• Dark-coloured pee and light-coloured poop
• Itchy skin
• Small, yellow bumps of fat deposits on your skin or eyelids
• Unexplained weight loss and muscle loss
• Irregular periods
• Swelling in your abdomen
• Easy bleeding and bruising