Fatty Liver Disease
Most
of
us
take
liver
for
granted
yet
thousands
of
people
all
over
the
world
suffer
when
excess
of
fat
builds
in
it
causing
“Fatty
Liver
Disease”.
If
untreated
it
will
lead
to
liver
failure
progressing
to
a
fatal
outcome.
Many
do
not
realise
they
have
potential
problem
as there are no symptoms for a long time.
Types of Fatty Liver:
1
.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver
2
.
Alcoholic Fatty Liver
Non-alcoholic
fatty
Liver:
Excessive
intake
of
fried
food
and
fatty
diet
for
a
prolonged
period
can
lead
to
a
fatty
liver.
Obesity
may
also
contribute
to
fatty
liver.
Many
with
fatty
liver
have
increased
triglycerides
and
may
also
be
diabetic.
Occasionally
autoimmune
disease,
malnutrition,
certain
drugs
and
viral
hepatitis
can
lead to the condition.
Alcoholic
Fatty
Liver:
Excessive
intake
of
alcohol
is
the
commonest
cause
of
fatty
liver.
In
the
USA
it
is
estimated
that
15
million
people consume excessive alcohol and almost all of them -- 90% to 100% -- develop fatty livers.
Symptoms:
In
the
early
stages
you
may
have
no
symptoms.
As
the
disease
progresses
you
may
develop
discomfort
in
the
right
upper
part
of
abdomen.
Loss
of
appetite
and
tiredness
may
develop
soon.
Towards
the
end
a
condition
called
cirrhosis
when
the
liver
is
scarred
and
becomes
hard.
At
this
stage
you
may
experience
itching,
skin
bruises,
muscle
weakness,
vomiting
blood
and
may become jaundiced. Ultimately ascites results when the abdomen gets filled with fluid.
If
you
suffer
from
loss
of
appetite,
feeling
lethargic,
lost
a
lot
a
weight
without
a
reason,
notice
a
changed
colour
of
urine
or
stools
you must seek urgent medical advice and must have your liver checked.
Tests to make sure you have a healthy Liver:
If
you
lead
a
healthy
life
style,
eating
the
right
kind
of
food
and
not
overindulging
in
alcohol
you
will
probably
have
nothing
to
worry
about.
Still
as
part
of
a
routine
health
check
you
must
have
your
liver
checked
now
and
again.
Anyone
over
the
age
of
50
should
have
a
test
to
confirm
that
the
liver
is
functioning
normally.
If
you
are
obese,
consume
a
large
amount
of
alcohol
or
you
are on regular medication for some other condition you must have a test at least once a year.
Liver
Function
Tests:
If
you
have
no
symptoms
but
would
like
to
have
your
liver
checked
as
part
of
a
routine
health
check
all
that
you
will
need
is
a
simple
blood
test
to
check
for
the
levels
of
protein,
various
pigments
and
enzymes
associated
with
the
liver.
The
enzymes
released
into
blood
by
the
damaged
liver
will
begin
to
rise
and
the
levels
of
proteins
(albumin
and
Globulin)
that the liver produces begin to drop.
The test checks for the following:
•
bilirubin,
•
albumin,
•
globulin,
•
total protein,
•
alkaline phosphatase (ALP),
•
gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT),
•
alanine transferase (ALT) and
•
aspartate transferase (AST).
Other
Investigations:
Apart
from
the
Liver
Function
Test,
blood
should
also
be
checked
for
cholesterol,
triglycerides
and
sugar.
These tests are done before you have had anything to eat or drink, atleast six hours after your last meal.
If
the
blood
tests
suggest
possible
involvement
of
liver
you
may
need
additional
tests
like
an
ultra
sound,
CT
and
MRI
scan.
If
the
scan
suggests
that
the
liver
is
affected
or
enlarged
and
you
have
significant
symptoms
your
doctor
may
then
request
biopsy
of
the liver that is done under a local anaesthetic using a needle.
Prevention:
Preventing
liver
disease
is
as
simple
as
not
overindulging
in
alcohol
and
not
eating
a
diet
high
in
fat
or
calories.
If
you
have
non-alcoholic
liver
disease,
there
is
no
specific
treatment
for
it.
But
it
can
be
corrected
by
losing
weight
and
changing
the diet if you are obese, treating other conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol/triglycerides and under-performing thyroid.
Remember,
unlike
any
other
organ
in
the
body
the
liver
can
repair
and
rejuvenate
itself
very
quickly
if
you
give
it
a
chance
and
act promptly.
K.Badrinath
Information for the General Public
