What is fibrosis? Fibrosis means an excess of fibrous connective tissue forms in tissue. As a result, the once pliable connective tissue becomes hard and scarred because of too much collagen. This hardening reduces the flow of fluids, thus preventing essential nutrients from reaching cells and the removal of toxic waste.
Generally, the causes of fibrosis are chronic inflammation, chronic irritation, healing overgrowth or gene mutation. The abnormal formation of fibrous tissue occurs as a reaction to or during the repair process of tissue.
Here are some circumstances that can lead to fibrosis:
- burns
- trauma
- chemotherapy
- repetitive stress
- some antibiotics
- toxins, pollutants
- chronic infections
- radiation treatment
A pre-existing health condition can be an associative cause of fibrosis as well, such as:
- lupus
- pneumonia
- sarcoidosis
- tuberculosis
- scleroderma
- lymphedema
- Crohn’s disease
- pneumoconiosis
- rheumatoid arthritis
There are various types of fibrosis, for instance:
- keloid
- cirrhosis
- myelofibrosis
- cystic fibrosis
- pleural fibrosis
- intestinal fibrosis
- pulmonary fibrosis
Fibrosis most commonly causes problems in the heart, lung, peritoneum and kidney.