Sometime you feel lethargic and think that it is from a long days’ work. Research indicates that up to 20% of Americans between the ages of 40 and 60 are suffering from fatty liver disease. The problem at this age is a slow metabolism rate which allows the body to accumulate more fat. The condition occurs when excess fat accumulates in your liver forming triglycerides. The condition should be treated in the shortest time possible to reduce the chances of liver cancer and liver cirrhosis.
What Factors Put You At Risk?
While age and a slow metabolism are regarded as the factors that increase your risk, there are others that are mainly lifestyle related.
- Obesity- if your waste is larger than 40 inches as a man and 35 inches as a woman, you are at a greater risk.
- High blood pressure- anyone whose blood pressure exceeds 100mg/dl is at risk.
- Triglyceride level of over 150mg/dl increases the risk.
- A reduction in the level of high density lipoprotein or HDL. In men the protein level should be 40mg/dl while women it should be 50mg/dl.
- High levels of cholesterol in the blood also increase the risk of fatty liver.
Fatty liver could be termed as largely a lifestyle disease. However, there are main causes that are worth noting. The causes may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. As the name suggests, consumption of alcohol causes alcoholic fatty liver. The non-alcoholic causes of this condition include
- Obesity
- Health conditions such as hepatitis, high blood cholesterol and diabetes
- Medicines that deposit a lot of liver in your blood
- Diets with excess carbohydrates, fats or sugars
Ones your liver is overcome by this disease, you will begin to experience symptoms like fatigue, brain fog or loss of concentration, fluid retention and mood swings. Bloating and sugar craving are the other symptoms. The tricky part is that such symptoms could conceal or be mistaken for other illnesses. This has turned the disease into a silent killer because the damage is gradual. For some, there are no symptoms at all. It will be discovered when the condition is critical. When the liver gets inflamed from the disease, the most common experience is exhaustion. At advanced stages or when it takes to long to be treated, hepatitis develops exposing you further to cancer or liver cirrhosis.
Diagnosis of Fatty Liver
There are several tests that can be taken. A liver biopsy is conducted for pathology purposes. An examination of liver enzymes may also be conducted alongside a review of your liver medical history. The doctor may also conduct ultrasound. Other tests like FibroScan, MRI and x-ray are also conducted.
Treatment For Fatty Liver
The treatment regime recommended depends on severity and individual health condition. Beyond having an annual checkup to arrest the condition at its earliest stages, the following treatment options are available.
- Gradual and safe reduction in weight especially through better diet and exercises
- Improvement in diet by reducing sugars, fats and carbohydrates and increasing fruits and vegetables.
- Check such risk factors as diabetes, high cholesterol levels and blood pressure
- Keep away from alcohol
- Take only medication prescribed by a doctor and in proper dosage.
The best prevention is regular and comprehensive checkup. This enables the doctor to spot the disease early and thus take mitigation measures. Once the liver is damaged, it will be impossible to reverse it.
