Fatty Liver Symptoms

Nearly 15-20% of the US population is affected by the fatty liver disease. Usually, there are no symptoms of a fatty liver, still in different stages of the disease, it may show some symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. Read on to know more about fatty liver symptoms...
Fatty Liver Symptoms
The liver is one of the most important parts of the human body, as it is responsible for controlling and maintaining a good metabolism rate in our body. The liver functions include the breaking down of fat, proteins and carbohydrates in the food. Not just these, the liver also acts as a detoxifying agent for the body, thus helping the body to get rid of toxic wastes. The liver is a resilient organ and even after loosing its many cells due to diseases, it functions at its best. However, fatty liver diseases can cause permanent damage to the liver, if left unchecked for a long time. Basically, the major cause of fatty liver has been found to be alcoholism, and hence the fatty liver disease is generalized into two categories, namely alcoholic and non-alcoholic. However, there can be cases of fatty liver, where the patient has never ever consumed alcohol. When there is an accumulation of a large amount of fat in the liver, it is called as steatosis. In this case, there is only the presence of large amount of fat in the liver with no inflammation. However, when fatty liver occurs with inflammation or the liver cells are damaged, it is called as steatohepatitis. If the steatohepatitis is not caused due to consumption of alcohol, it is called as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Causes of the Symptoms of Fatty Liver
Diabetes, obesity and uncontrolled consumption of alcohol are cited to be the major reasons of fatty liver in the United States and around the world. Hereditary metabolism disorders hinder the metabolism rate and are also believed to be the causes of fatty liver symptoms. The rate of inability to resist insulin and high triglyceride levels in the blood are also the causes of fatty liver.

Diagnosis and Symptoms of Fatty Liver
In the initial stages, the disease goes unnoticed and this increases the complications of this disease, when it grows into a serious problem. Various symptoms of fatty liver diseases are mentioned belowNausea
  • Vomiting
  • Appetite loss
  • Erratic weight loss
  • Memory lapses and forgetfulness
  • Pain under the rib cage
  • Dry mouth
  • Fever
  • Swollen legs and feet
  • The problem with fatty liver diseases is that the symptoms hardly appear and so it becomes difficult to take a timely check. Once the problem of a fatty liver comes into light, it is mandatory to take the necessary precautions. Diagnosis involves going for blood tests, CAT scan (computed tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and liver biopsy. Blood tests help us to determine possible causes of fatty liver in the initial period of the disease. For instance through a blood test, it can be checked if the person is suffering from any inflammation in the liver. This helps in reducing the risk of severe fatty liver disease and other related problems, like finding the symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver.

    Treatment of Fatty Liver
    Treating a fatty liver involves eliminating the possible causes of the disease. For example, if alcohol and drug abuse is the cause of fatty liver, then the patient has to make sure that he/she stops consuming alcohol and drugs completely. If the person is addicted to these unhealthy habits, then he or she should be kept in an alcohol rehab center and treated with care. Once the consumption is stopped completely, the symptoms of fatty liver disappear within a period of 6 to 8 months. If the patient is having excess weight, he should attempt losing weight and gain control over his diet.

    Fatty liver is a not very difficult to cure, unless the case is extreme. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, one can easily reduce the risk of fatty liver. Protecting your liver is totally in your hands and so you should not ignore it at any cost. That way, you can achieve everlasting health and happiness.

    By Kundan Pandey
    Published: 8/11/2009
     
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