Fatty liver disease occurs when there is a buildup of fat in your liver. There are two types, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic fatty liver disease. Having fatty liver disease means that there are fat cells found in at least 5% of the liver. It is a common disease that can affect up to 25% of the population. It is often an unseen disease that can lead to cirrhosis or a more extreme liver disease.
Causes or Risk Factors of a Fatty Liver:
For an alcoholic the fatty liver development is directly related to the high intake in alcohol that one has. There are a couple of different ways that one might develop nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, though the exact cause is unknown. It could be related to diet, genetics, or moderate alcohol intake. Some of the more common risk factors and causes are below:
- Those suffering from obesity
- Those with type 2 diabetes
- Those with high blood pressure
- Those that have infections like Hepatitis C
- Those who have taken drugs
- Those with metabolic disorders
- Those with rapid weight loss
- Those with high cholesterol
- Those in their middle ages
Symptoms of a Fatty Liver:
Fatty liver is a silent disease. One might not know that they have and could go for long periods of times without showing any symptoms. Those that do have symptoms will suffer from light cases of the following:
- Tiredness
- Discomfort in your right side
- An enlarged liver
- Signs of jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)
Fatty Liver Diagnosis and Treatment:
When diagnosing someone with a fatty liver a doctor must run multiple tests to see if any results come back positive. A physician will investigate your medical history, conduct a physical exam, and run blood and imaging tests. Treatment for the disease would be a change in diet to include more vitamins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The diet would also include cutting out sugar, salt, and alcohol to prevent damaging the liver further. If you think you might suffering from Fatty Liver, call the Digestive Liver Disease Center at San Antonio and talk to a professional staff member about setting up a consultation.
