Common Symptoms of Fatty Liver

What do you Mean by Fatty Liver?

Fatty Liver Symptoms – Fatty liver refers to the damaged liver due to excess fat accumulation. It can occur due to excess alcohol intake (alcohol-related fatty liver), a heavy cholesterol diet, or other metabolic disturbances (non-alcoholic fatty liver).

Stages of Fatty Liver disease 

On the basis of the amount of stored fats and level of damage in the liver, the fatty liver disease is graded as follows:

Grade1: This stage of fatty liver is asymptomatic and diagnosed only during routine checkups. It is reversible.

Grade2: This stage shows mild symptoms such as abdominal pain and nausea . Liver has accumulated some amount of fat, the liver cells are damaged. When there is fat accumulation, without inflammation then this condition is known as non alcoholic fatty liver disease. The inflammation in the liver is the sign that the liver is healing itself. This stage is reversible.

Grade 3: If the damaged liver is inflamed with accumulated fats, then this condition is diagnosed as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and the disease progresses to a serious situation known as liver cirrhosis. This stage is irreversible.

Symptoms

Most often, individuals with fatty liver do not exhibit any significant symptoms in the initial stages. As the disease progress and a large part of the liver is affected people start showing the following symptoms,

1. 1. Low appetite
2. 2. Pain in abdomen
3. 3. Mental confusion
4. 4. Tiredness
5. 5. Weakness
6. 6. Edema- swelling in legs and abdomen
7. 7. Feeling of fullness
8.  

Symptoms of Fatty Liver in Grade 1 

Fatty liver in Grade 1 is the milder form of fatty liver disease. However, doctors recommend people with fatty liver to abstain from alcohol, maintain a diet with lesser fatty acid contents and add exercise to your daily routine. Though this stage is most often left undiagnosed, some people might get to know that they are in their first stage of the fatty liver through routine checkups and ultrasounds. At this stage, there is less fatty acid deposition in the liver, and it is managed easily with simple lifestyle interventions. 

Symptoms of Grade 2 or Alcohol-related Fatty Liver Disease (ARLD)

People with ARLD do not exhibit significant symptoms unless the liver has been damaged severely. In this situation, affected person might 

1. 1. Blood in stools
2. 2. Vomiting blood
3. 3. Swelled up ankles
4. 4. Drowsiness and confusion
5. 5. Pale or yellow skin and eyes
6.  

Major symptoms of Grade 3 fatty liver or cirrhosis include,

1. 1. Bruising and Bleeding 
2. 2. Low appetite.
3. 3. Abdominal pain that persist
4. 4. Edema (patient’s legs, ankles get swell up)
5. 5. Itchy skin
6. 6. Weight loss without diet
7. 7. Discoloration or pale skin and eyes
8. 9. Nausea
9.  

Major Causes and Risk factors for a Fatty Liver Disease 

A healthy liver is a mirror of what you eat. Various lifestyle habits are responsible for liver damage. The predominant cause of a fatty liver is a high cholesterol diet, various other reasons include,

1. 1. High cholesterol
2. 2. Sleep apnea
3. 3. Hypothyroidism
4. 4. Metabolic syndrome
5. 5. Polycystic ovary syndrome
6. 6. High levels of triglycerides in the blood
7. 7. Obesity
8. 8. Type 2 diabetes
9.  

Sleep apnea– It is the condition in which a person experiences irregular breathing that may pause for a while and then start. This sleep disorder can lead to various serious issues, such as, high blood pressure, fatty liver, and cardiovascular disturbances.

Hypothyroidism– It refers to the condition in which the thyroid gland fails to generate enough hormones required for normal functioning of the body. 

Metabolic syndrome-It comprises all the physiological and biochemical abnormalities that contribute to the occurence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems.

Polycystic ovary syndrome: It is the reproductive hormonal imbalance in women’s bodies that lead to various discomforts, such as irregular or missed periods, acne, excess hair growth, weight gain, and in some cases it can lead to infertility.

Diagnosis and tests

Fatty Liver Diagnosis 

The liver metabolises various substances with the help of several enzymes and helps in the excretion of toxic substances from the body. The liver enzymes involved in speeding up a number of chemical reactions include: 

1. 1. ALT (alanine transaminase)
2. 2. ALP (Alkaline phosphatase)
3. 3. AST (Aspartate transaminase)
4. 4. GGT (Gamma-glutamyl transferase)
5.  

In response to the damaged liver, above-given enzymes get dissolved with the blood. For diagnosis of fatty liver, these enzymes are used as essential markers. If there is an elevated level of liver enzymes in the blood test, then the person is sure to have some liver problems. 

There are several diagnostic tests centred on this purpose: 

1. 1. Liver Biopsy -a sample of liver tissue is ejected out and observed under a microscope to determine disease progression
2. 2. FibroScan– It is a specialised ultrasound to quantify the amount of fat and scar tissue in the liver.
3. 3. CT Scan or Ultrasound– To get insights into liver tissues
4. 4. Transient elastography– It is a type of ultrasound used to measure the stiffness of the liver. This test is specifically carried out to diagnose fibrosis or scarring.
5.  

Management and Treatment

Management of fatty liver through simple lifestyle changes

Ever wonder that some lifestyle interventions can heal your fatty liver

Yes, we can manage fatty liver with the following lifestyle interventions:

1. 1. Exercising regularly- Exercise has a great impact on intrahepatic triglycerides, insulin sensitivity, liver enzymes, glucose homeostasis, fat acid transportation, and inflammation. Fatty liver patients are advised to exercise at least 150 minutes a week.
2. 2. Diet therapy- According to the AASLD (American Association for the study of Liver Diseases) guidelines, a 30% reduction in calorie intake improves hepatic steatosis, reducing free fatty acids, and fasting glucose improvement.
3.  

5 Best Exercises for Fatty Liver Disease 

All those strenuous exercises that help in reducing fats and lower the inflammation in your liver will help in maintaining a healthy liver and keeping fatty liver diseases at bay:

1. 1. Weight lifting 
2. 2. Cycling
3. 3. Running
4. 4. Vigorous walking
5. 5. Swimming
6.  

Alternative Medications to treat a Fatty Liver Disease

There is no alternative medicine to cure fatty liver. However, various ongoing types of research are focused on the effectiveness of vitamin E and coffee. 

1. 1. Vitamin E is responsible for neutralising or reducing liver inflammation due to its antioxidative properties. 
2. 2. Coffee has proven beneficial for the heart and liver, as stated by various case studies. The most plausible explanation for this is the crucial role of coffee in fighting inflammation.
3.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Fatty liver problem reversible?

Thanks to the auto regeneration capacity of the liver, the liver can heal itself. Hence grade 1 and 2 fatty liver conditions are reversible.

What are the fatty liver grade 2 symptoms?

Fatty liver grade 2 shows very mild symptoms that include abdominal pain, feeling of fullness, and nausea. People diagnosed with grade 2 fatty liver have fats accumulated in some areas of the liver. To heal itself, the liver at this stage gets inflamed.

What are the different stages of fatty liver disease?

Fatty liver disease is graded on the basis of the amount of stored fats and level of damage in the liver. This condition is graded as follows:

Grade1: This stage of fatty liver is asymptomatic and diagnosed only during routine checkups. It is reversible.

Grade2: This stage shows mild symptoms such as abdominal pain and nausea . Liver has accumulated some amount of fat, the liver cells are damaged. When there is fat accumulation, without inflammation then this condition is known as non alcoholic fatty liver disease. The inflammation in the liver is the sign that the liver is healing itself. This stage is reversible.

Grade 3: If the damaged liver is inflamed with accumulated fats, then this condition is diagnosed as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and the disease progresses to a serious situation known as liver cirrhosis. This stage is irreversible.

What are the early symptoms of NAFLD?

5 Early Symptoms of NAFLD include:

1. 1. Weight loss due to loss of appetite
2. 2. Pale skin
3. 3. Tiredness
4. 4. Mental confusion
5. 5. Abdominal pain
6.  

Till what stage the fatty liver disease is reversible?

If fatty liver is diagnosed in initial stages, like in grades 1 and 2, then it is easy to cure and reversible. However, when the fatty liver condition progresses to grade 3- NASH, and cirrhosis, it becomes a serious situation to handle and the condition is irreversible.

How can I check if my liver is unhealthy?

You can observe several changes in your body to check whether your liver is unhealthy, these include: 

1. 1. Low appetite
2. 2. Pain in the upper right abdomen
3. 3. Mental confusion
4. 4. Tiredness
5. 5. Weakness
6. 6. Edema- swelling in legs and abdomen
7. 7. Feeling of fullness
8.  

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