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FATTY LIVER

Men's Health, Skin Conditions, Uncategorized, Women's Health / By

FATTY LIVER

Fatty liver, or hepatic steatosis, is a term that describes the buildup of fat in the liver. It’s normal to have some fat in your liver, but too much can become a health problem.

Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps your body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons. Fatty liver disease is a condition in which fat builds up in your liver. There are two main types:

  • Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
  • Alcoholic fatty liver disease, also called alcoholic steatohepatitis

Causes

Experts don’t know exactly why some people accumulate fat in the liver while others do not. Similarly, there is limited understanding of why some fatty livers develop inflammation that progresses to cirrhosis.Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis are both linked to the following:

.   Overweight or obesity

  • Insulin resistance, in which your cells don’t take up sugar in response to the hormone insulin
  • High blood sugar (hyperglycemia), indicating prediabetes or actual type 2 diabetes
  • High levels of fats, particularly triglycerides, in the blood

These combined health problems appear to promote the deposit of fat in the liver. For some people, this excess fat acts as a toxin to liver cells, causing liver inflammation and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which may lead to a buildup of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the liver.

Signs and Symptoms

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease usually causes no signs and symptoms. When it does, they may include:

  • Enlarged liver
  • Fatigue
  • Pain in the upper right abdomen

Possible signs and symptoms of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and cirrhosis (advanced scarring) include:

  • Abdominal swelling (ascites)
  • Enlarged blood vessels just beneath the skin’s surface
  • Enlarged breasts in men
  • Enlarged spleen
  • Red palms
  • Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)

Diagnosis

Some of the tests your doctor may use to diagnose fatty liver disease are:

Physical exam . Your doctor weighs you and checks your body for signs of liver problems such as an enlarged liver or jaundice.

Blood tests. These can show if you have high levels of liver enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). If so, there could be a problem with your liver.

Imaging tests. You may get ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) scans, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These tests can help show if there’s any fat in your liver. But they can’t tell whether you have simple fatty liver or NASH.

Liver biopsy. A doctor removes a sample of tissue from your liver and sends it to a lab to see if you have liver inflammation or damage.

Treatment

There isn’t a medication or surgery to treat fatty liver. Instead, your doctor will offer recommendations to reduce your risk factors. These recommendations include:

  • limiting or avoiding alcoholic beverages
  • managing your cholesterol and reducing your intake of sugar and saturated fatty acids
  • losing weight
  • controlling your blood sugar

If you have fatty liver because of obesity or unhealthy eating habits, your doctor may also suggest that you increase physical activity and eliminate certain types of food from your diet. Reducing the number of calories, you eat each day can help you lose weight and heal your liver.

You can also reverse fatty liver disease by reducing or eliminating fatty foods and foods high in sugar from your diet. Choose healthier foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Replace red meats with lean animal proteins such as chicken and fish.