Fatty Liver Problem

Fatty liver means extra fat in the liver. A small amount of fat in the liver is common. However, excess fat in the liver is bad for our health. The liver is the second largest organ in our body. It has many important functions such as detoxification of blood and extraction of nutrients from food. In the fatty liver problem, the liver has to work harder to perform normal operations. In medical terms, fatty liver is called hepatic steatosis.

People, who have obesity or Type 2 diabetes, are at major risk of fatty liver disease. People who heavy alcohol consumption also has higher chances of fatty liver. However, people who do not consume alcohol can also have fatty liver problem because of an unhealthy lifestyle.

General Symptoms of Fatty Liver:

The symptoms of the fatty liver do not come early. Many persons who have this problem do not get symptoms at all. People get symptoms when the situation becomes critical. Some general symptoms of fatty liver problem are abdominal pain, weight loss, itchy skin, weakness, confusion, swellings of the leg, breast enlargement in men, nose bleeds, yellow skin, etc.

Type of Fatty liver: 

Fatty liver has two types: Alcoholic Fatty Liver and Non Alcoholic fatty liver.

• Alcoholic Fatty Liver      

As the name says alcoholic fatty liver (AFL) occurs due to excessive alcohol consumption. Heavy alcohol consumption builds up fat in your liver. In alcoholic fatty liver, the doctor can suggest stopping alcohol consumption. Generally, the situation gets better when you stop alcohol consumption. The first condition of alcoholic fatty liver is enlarged liver then it progresses to alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis.

Enlarged Liver: 

This condition has no symptoms. Sometimes, a person may feel discomfort or pain on the upper right side of the stomach.

Alcoholic Hepatitis: 

This is the condition of swelling in the liver. A person may experience stomach pain, fever, vomiting, and nausea. It can cause jaundice.

Alcoholic Cirrhosis:

This is a serious condition. The symptoms of this fatty liver problem are bleeding in your body, enlarged spleen, high blood pressure, fluid creation in the stomach, etc. It can lead to liver failure.

• Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver

Non Alcoholic fatty liver has two conditions -simple fatty liver and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Simple Fatty Liver:

 80 percent of people of nonalcoholic fatty liver has a simple fatty liver problem. It means you have fat in the liver. It is not a serious condition because it can get cured through precautions. People who are obese or poor eating habits can have a simple fatty liver. It does not cause swelling in the liver or damage to liver cells. It can cause problems later if not treated. You may feel tired or discomfort in simple fatty liver condition.

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: 

This is a serious condition. In this condition, the liver has inflammation. It can cause fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

Stages of fatty liver: 

The starting stage of the liver problem is simple fatty liver. It may lead to liver failure (cirrhosis) if proper care is not given. The first stage is the simple fatty liver (excess fat in the liver), the second stage is Steatohepatitis (excess fat and inflammation in the liver), the third stage is fibrosis (scarring in the liver) and the fourth stage is Cirrhosis (complete scarring of the liver leads to liver failure). It is important to prevent the development by implementing precautions.

Causes of Fatty Liver: 

The exact cause of a fatty liver problem is not known yet. Some common causes of nonalcoholic fatty liver are obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid problem, frequent weight loss, hepatitis C, side effects of medications, etc. Excessive alcohol consumption is the reason for alcoholic fatty liver. An unhealthy lifestyle and poor food habits can also cause the fatty liver condition.

Diagnosis of Fatty Liver: 

The liver function test is helpful to detect fatty liver problem. This is the blood test.  Other than a blood test, the doctor can also recommend an ultrasound, sonography, and MRI depending upon the severity of the condition.  

Treatment for Fatty Liver: 

There is no particular treatment for fatty liver disease. In simple fatty liver problem, the doctor recommends to change food habits, lose weight, and do exercise. In alcoholic fatty liver, the doctor recommends to stop alcohol consumption.  The doctor recommends surgery in a critical condition like liver cirrhosis,. A liver transplant is suggested in case of liver failure.

Prevention:

Prevention is better than cure. We should take care of our liver health.

• Eat a nutrient-rich diet, including fruits, green vegetables, and whole grains in your daily diet.
• Control blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in the body.
• Do 30 minutes of light exercise daily as regular exercise keeps you fit.
• Obesity is one of the reasons for fatty liver problems. You should maintain a healthy weight to prevent this problem.
• Limit alcohol consumption. Consult the doctor if you drink heavily. The doctor will recommend methods to leave this habit.
• After the age of 30, you should go for routine health check-ups once a year. Visit Arth diagnostics for health check-up:

If you are diagnosed with fatty liver problem, you should follow the advice of the doctor and go for a regular check-up. In many cases, simple fatty liver can be treated by changing lifestyles. You should avoid the problem even it is small. Once the problem becomes critical, it becomes difficult to treat. Hence, you should not compromise your health for anything.