Fatty Liver Disease: Symptoms, Treatments, Causes - Ananthapuri Hospitals

1. WHAT IS FATTY LIVER DISEASE?

Fatty liver is a disease that is characterised by an excessive accumulation of fat inside the liver cells. It is normal if you have a small amount of fat in your liver. But if it makes up more than 5% to 10% of the organ’s weight, you may have fatty liver disease. 

2. WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF FATTY LIVER? 

Alcoholism and heavy drinking are the most common causes of fatty liver. 

Among non-alcoholics, the exact cause is unknown, but a highly processed sugar diet, diabetes, low physical activity, and genetics appear to be a risk factor. Obesity is the most common trait found in people who have fatty liver.  

3. WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF FATTY LIVER DISEASE?

There are two types of fatty liver diseases. They are: 

• ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (ALD) - It develops due to excessive alcohol consumption causing build-up of fat. 
• NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (NAFLD) - 
• Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFL) - It develops when the liver has difficulty breaking down fats, causing a buildup of the liver tissue.
• Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) - It develops when the built up fat causes the liver to swell.

4. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FATTY LIVER?

Typically fatty liver does not exhibit any symptoms. A doctor may be able to detect an enlarged liver during a physical exam.  

5. WHO IS AT THE RISK OF BEING AFFECTED BY FATTY LIVER DISEASE?

All age groups, children included, can be affected by fatty liver. 

You are at high risk if you: 

1. Are obese or overweight 
2. Have type 2 diabetes
3. Consume excessive alcohol 
4. Have high cholesterol levels
5. Have high levels of fats in the blood, especially high triglycerides.

6. WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT FATTY LIVER?

1. Physical activity: Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days in a  week
2. Dietary modifications:

• Limit or eliminate alcohol from your diet
• Avoid high sugary foods
• Avoid processed foods (processed meat, cakes, biscuits, chips, and so on)  
• Avoid High Glycemic Carbohydrates (found in white bread, white rice, and so on)

7. CAN YOU REVERSE FATTY LIVER DISEASE? 

Good news is yes, you can! It is possible to improve or even reverse fatty liver. 

Most cases of fatty liver do not progress to other forms of liver disease if you take the right lifestyle choices at the right time. So if you control your weight, fatty food consumption, cholesterol, diabetes, and alcohol consumption, you have a high chance of getting your liver back to its healthy state.  

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With our changing lifestyles, fatty liver is getting very common by each day. 

Since an early stage fatty liver does not usually show any symptoms, it is often diagnosed when the patient is being tested for a routine checkup or any other medical issue.

If unchecked, a fatty liver can lead to cirrhosis and even liver failure, both of which have highly serious complications. You may end up requiring a liver transplant, or worse - it can result in death. 

There are several treatments depending on the severity of this condition. Consulting a gastroenterologist and getting a liver function checkup can help you find out and be in control of the condition. 

Ananthapuri Hospital has an excellent team of gastroenterologists. To book an appointment, call us at +91 9400332777 or visit our hospital at Chacka, NH Bypass, Thiruvananthapuram.

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