FATTY liver disease: An inflamed liver may become scarred and hardened over time which may lead to liver failure or other serious and life-threatening conditions. There are four symptoms warning your liver may be hardening.
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“These combined health problems appear to promote the deposit of fat in the liver,” explains the health body.
“For some people, this excess fat acts as a toxin to liver cells, causing liver inflammation and NASH, which may lead to a buildup of scar tissue in the liver.”
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an aggressive form of fatty liver disease.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “it is marked by liver inflammation and may progress to advanced scarring (cirrhosis) and liver failure”.
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According to a recent study, an estimated six to seven percent of the world’s population has liver fibrosis and doesn’t know it because they don’t have any major symptoms. Often people remain unaware they have something wrong with their liver unless something is diagnosed during tests carried out for another reason. Any symptoms that do show tend to be non-specific and people often dismiss them as being caused by something else. Experiencing flu-like signs, fever or shivery attacks could be an indication your liver is in trouble.
Nausea, a disinterest in food and weight loss are some early symptoms of liver problems.
In fact, the initial stages of hepatitis often bring flu-like symptoms, including digestive discomfort.
Cirrhosis is the presence of scar tissue in the liver, the largest solid organ in your body.
The early signs of cirrhosis are often subtle, making it likely to go undetected for several years.
Later, it can cause flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. In later stages it can cause malnutrition, swelling in the legs or abdomen, and jaundice.
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Researchers have noted that exhaustion and fatigue are the single most common symptom of liver damage, said My Liver Exam.
The health site continued: “Unfortunately, the specific causes of liver disease-related fatigue and exhaustion are not fully understood.
“Researchers speculate that the root cause of liver disease-related chronic fatigue may be caused by changes in brain chemistry and hormone levels which result from impaired liver function.
“In particular, altered levels of corticotrophins, serotonin, and noradrenaline may be at the root of depleted energy levels.
“Researchers also note that fatigue-related symptoms are likely worsened by a general increase in the presence of toxic by-products in the blood, which the damaged liver cannot properly eliminate.”
Liver cancer can be caused by alcohol abuse, having a long-term hepatitis B or hepatitis C viral infection, haemochromatosis or primary biliary cirrhosis – a long-term liver disease which damages the bile ducts in the liver.
NHS Choices said: “The exact cause of liver cancer is unknown, but most cases are associated with damage and scarring of the liver known as cirrhosis.
“It’s also believed obesity and an unhealthy diet can increase the risk of liver cancer because this can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.”
Author: Jessica Knibbs
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Fatty liver disease is a common condition caused by having too much fat build up in your liver. A healthy liver contains a small amount of fat. It becomes a problem when fat reaches five to 10 percent of one’s liver’s weight. Unusual itching particularly at night could indicate your risk to the condition.
In a study published in the National Library of Health, itching symptom and how it’s related to the liver was analysed.
Pruritus can be defined as “an unpleasant sensation that causes the need to scratch and although it is most commonly seen in skin diseases it can occur as a consequence of systemic conditions”, began the study.
It added: “Pruritus in liver diseases can often be a debilitating symptom causing significant impairment in quality of life.
“Not all patients with liver disease develop pruritus and its prevalence varies depending on the underlying cause of liver disease.
“Patients with pruritus often seek treatment from their GPs but studies have shown there is lack of awareness among clinicians in relation to pruritus associated with liver diseases.”
Other symptoms of fatty liver disease to look out for include:
Author: Jessica Knibbs
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The American Liver Foundation names three types of alcoholic liver disease.
These are in order of most to least severe with several signs and symptoms indicating your stage.
This disease happens when fat builds up in the liver, which causes swelling and impairs liver function.
Alcoholic fatty liver disease can occur even after a short period of heavy drinking.
Symptoms are not usually present in this stage, though the American Liver Foundation reports some may feel weak or fatigued or notice discomfort in the right upper abdomen.
With cessation of alcohol use, drinkers can usually reverse liver disease in this stage. If drinking continues, damage to the liver will not subside and will result in irreversible disease.
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Once the liver has developed into such a severe state, it’s irreversible. However, by being aware of the warning signs, you can prevent fatty liver disease from being fatal. As more and more tissue becomes scarred, signs of cirrhosis begin to appear. For instance, the NHS stated that one sensation you might feel is nausea (feeling as though you’re going to be sick).
“You may also notice changes in your personality, problems sleeping (insomnia), memory loss, confusion and difficulty concentrating,” added the NHS.
This is known as “encephalopathy”, which is when toxins affect the brain as the liver is unable to remove them from the body.
In the very late stages of cirrhosis, you may have “tarry, black stools”.
This can be indicative of internal bleeding, which needs to be seen to right away.
A Lifestyle overhaul also involves losing weight if you need to, exercising regularly and taking all prescribed medication.
It’s also key to practise good hygiene in order to reduce the chance of infections.
If you’ve developed excess fluid in the stomach area and legs, you’ll need to restrict the amount of salt in your diet and take diuretic tablets.
For those who have developed encephalopathy, treatment usually involves lactulose syrup.
Lactulose syrup acts like a laxative, helping to clear the bowels, and to remove toxins from the body.
When the liver is extensively damaged, a liver transplant may be the only option.
This type of operation is considered a “major” procedure, but the waiting list can be lengthy on the NHS.
“There are more people waiting for a transplant than there are donors,” the national health body explained.
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Do bear in mind that scarred tissue within the liver will not heal no matter how long you abstain from alcohol.
Teetotalism can, however, help prevent the condition from worsening and can help prolong your life.
Going alcohol free can lead to a better night’s sleep, brighter skin, and more energy, said the charity Drinkaware – it can also improve your mood.
“Alcohol can make stress and anxiety worse,” the charity reported. “This is because drinking too much interferes with the neurotransmitters in our brains.”
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The liver has the incredible ability to regenerate itself, yet if scarring takes place, that part of the liver can’t be restored. Do you need to start taking better care of your health? Take a look at your hands, pay attention to the colour of the skin and nails, the shape of your fingers, and if they shake. The British Liver Trust pointed out that in the earlier stages of fatty liver disease, the palms become red and blotchy.
Pamela Healy, the CEO of the British Liver Trust, said: “One in three of us are at risk of getting liver disease.
“It is a silent killer and people often don’t realise they have a problem until it is too late.”
If you’re experiencing any symptoms of fatty liver disease, do speak to your doctor.
Do bear in mind that most doctors now offer telephone and video consultations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“A healthy liver should contain little or no fat,” said the British Liver Trust.
You can help to maintain a healthy weight by eating a healthy, balanced diet and being more physically active.
Leading a healthier lifestyle will reward you with so many health benefits later on in life.
In order to follow the best type of diet, the British Liver Trust recommends the Mediterranean diet.
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The liver is a reddish-brown, cone-shaped organ found in the upper right portion of your abdominal cavity. A healthy liver typically weighs around three pounds and is capable of holding approximately 13 percent of the body’s blood supply at different times. When the liver is failing, fatty liver disease may ensue which is a result of poor lifestyle choices including alcohol abuse. A sign your liver is deteriorating may include experiencing dandruff.
White, scaly plaques on your scalp otherwise referred to as dandruff could indicate liver problems.
In Chinese medicine, the most common cause of dandruff is “liver blood deficiency”, said acupuncturist Angela Hicks.
She added: “Blood, amongst other things, moistens the body, so ‘blood deficiency’ doesn’t mean you are anaemic but that your blood isn’t moistening your scalp sufficiently (the blood deficiency also causes psoriasis).”
Other health conditions which cause dandruff as a symptom include:
In most cases, fatty liver disease doesn’t cause any serious problems or prevent your liver from functioning normally, said the Cleveland Clinic.
The health site continued: “But for seven percent to 30 percent of people with the condition, fatty liver disease gets worse over time.”
It progresses through three stages:
Your liver becomes inflamed (swollen), which damages its tissue. This stage is called steatohepatitis.
Scar tissue forms where your liver is damaged. This process is called fibrosis.
Extensive scar tissue replaces healthy tissue. At this point, you have cirrhosis of the liver.
Fatty liver develops when your body produces too much fat or doesn’t metabolise fat efficiently enough.
The excess fat is stored in liver cells, where it accumulates and causes fatty liver disease.
This build-up of fat can be caused by a variety of things.
For example, drinking too much alcohol can cause alcoholic fatty liver disease. This is the first stage of alcohol-related liver disease.
In people who don’t drink a lot of alcohol, the cause of fatty liver disease is less clear.
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,” explains the Mayo Clinic.
NAFLD has been linked to a range of chronic disease markers, however.
These include:
Overweight or obesity
Insulin resistance, in which your cells don’t take up sugar in response to the hormone insulin
High blood sugar (hyperglycaemia), indicating prediabetes or type 2 diabetes
High levels of fats, particularly triglycerides, in the blood.
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Fatty liver disease is strongly associated with obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. If you have one (or more) of these health conditions, how can you know if your organ is damaged? Scarring of the liver can eventually lead to liver failure, which requires an organ transplant, so it’s very important to prevent it from getting to that stage. A tar-like texture to your poo can be an indication of cirrhosis, Medical News Today confirmed.
“Consume both proteins and carbohydrates, but limit fats and sugars,” advised Medical News Today.
Implementing healthy eating habits as soon as possible can help prevent (further) scarring of the liver.
Once bits of the liver become scarred, the organ is unable to heal those specific parts.
However, the organ has an amazing ability to heal itself by reducing inflammation.
BMI is a useful indication as to whether a person is at a healthy weight.
A more telling sign of obesity is using a tape measure to measure the waistline.
Women who have a waistline of 80cm or more “are more likely to develop obesity-related health problems”, including fatty liver disease.
For men, their risk of health complications increases if they have a waist circumference of 94cm or more.
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