What is Fatty Liver Disease? – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Food to Avoid

Fatty Liver Disease – Fat is an essential part of the human body. Even though a huge number of people believe it is not good for the human body, which is true, it also provides a huge number of benefits. It is the fat that helps you regulate body temperature, balance all of your hormones, maintain blood sugar levels, store vitamins and also provide healthy metabolism.

But, as we already know, fat can be a very difficult thing to handle. Whenever you have any physical condition, most of the time, it is related to fat. For example, obese people suffer from most diseases, and it is because they have extra body fat. 

Similarly, the fatty liver disease also proves everyone right that it can be bad and close several problems for the human body. Today we will talk about fatty liver disease, all of its symptoms, causes, and the diet to treat it.

Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease

Let’s start with all the symptoms of fatty liver disease. Even though it is a very common problem in the United States of America, as we report more than 3 million cases of fatty liver disease each year, most people do not realize they have fatty liver disease.

People usually feel these symptoms and keep taking the wrong medicine, which lowers the quality of life. Kindly read all the symptoms given below and if you are experiencing one or more symptoms, kindly consult with your doctor regarding the fatty liver disease.

Abdominal pain

Abdominal pain is the first symptom of having fatty liver disease. Even though it is the most common symptom of having the disease, most people avoid it as it is not a severe symptom.

Most people experience low to mild abdominal pain, which is easy to relate to other very common physical problems. Even as per the data, most people who were diagnosed with the fatty liver disease first ignored the pain, and later they were diagnosed with the same.

Loss of appetite

The second thing you are going to experience, along with abdominal pain during fatty liver disease, is the loss of appetite. As for most of the studies on fatty liver disease, people lose their will to eat food as they always feel full. 

The whole charade of losing the appetite may also cause a little bit of weight loss which will be unexpected to you as you are not trying to lose it. It will be a minor weight loss, and your body structure will not change due to weight loss caused by fatty liver disease.

Weakness and fatigue

Most of the studies related to fatty liver disease have successfully concluded that people who are suffering from fatty liver disease experience weakness and fatigue at the same time. Usually, it is not going to impact your day-to-day life, but in some cases, people who are also struggling with other diseases can become a very serious problem. 

If you are one of those people, who have lost their appetite, have regular abdominal pain, and are now experiencing weakness and fatigue, you should get yourself tested for fatty liver disease. It could be a clear sign of having the disease, and you can easily treat the disease in the early stages.

Yellow skin and eyes

During fatty liver disease, it is also possible that you get symptoms like you have jaundice. Your skin will get yellow, and it will also affect your eyes by turning their color yellow from Milky white. Symptoms like these make it very hard for fatty liver disease to get diagnosed, as most of the symptoms are clearly overlapping with some other famous and common physical diseases.

Colored Urine and Stool

People who are suffering from fatty liver disease may also experience that their urine has gone darker in color, and their stool is Getting paler than ever before. The change of color in both urine and stool is a clear and classical symptom of fatty liver disease.

other symptoms

Apart from the above given common symptoms, they are a huge list of other symptoms that people suffering from fatty liver disease might experience.

First of all, it is possible that you start bruising or bleeding yourself very easily as your liver weakens your immune system. You become more vulnerable to a huge number of diseases if your liver is not working properly.

At the same time, it is also possible that men suffering from fatty liver disease may experience breast enlargement. It is a very common symptom, and most men might not feel it if they have more fat on their bodies.

A huge number of people experience web-like clusters of blood vessels under their skin during fatty liver disease. It is a rare symptom, and most people might not get it. 

If you are experiencing two or more symptoms that we have listed above for fatty liver disease, then you should get yourself tested for those same. Even though there is no specific treatment available for fatty liver disease, and it is very hard to diagnose it, you should never ignore any symptoms.

Causes of fatty liver disease

Once you know all the symptoms of fatty liver disease, it is time for you to understand the major causes of the same. Without understanding the causes, you might not be able to treat yourself and prevent it from happening in the future also.

Before we move ahead, let me tell you there are two different types of fatty liver disease. The first one is non-alcoholic fatty liver, and the other one is alcoholic fatty liver.

As you can tell by the Name that alcohol plays a major role in someone having a fatty liver, But we will talk about both the types and their common symptoms. 

Alcohol

Alcohol is the only and biggest cause of someone getting an alcoholic fatty liver. In a huge number of studies, it has already been proven that people who drink alcoholic beverages in excessive amounts May get fatty liver disease.

Even if we see the ratio of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and fatty liver disease, you will see most of the diagnosed cases are of liver disease. Our body has a limit to everything. Similarly, our liver can also process a fixed amount of alcohol, and after that, it starts having physical problems, and one of them is fatty liver disease.

Obesity

Most of the people who got diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are obese people. Even in many studies, it has been proven that overweight people are more vulnerable to getting fatty liver disease. Obese people have more fat in their bodies, and it gets very hard for liver work. 

At the same time, the whole body makes it very easier for the liver to accumulate too. That is likely to be called by these people to get yourself tested for several diseases at regular intervals. If you are able to detect fatty liver disease at an early stage, you can also treat it without any hard work and symptoms.

High cholesterol

There is a high probability that even if you don’t have overweight or obesity issues, you can get fatty liver disease due to high levels of fat in your blood. Even as per a huge number of studies, it has already been proven that high levels of cholesterol and triglyceride can cause fatty liver disease. That is why doctors recommend everyone to get their self-tested at regular intervals.

Several infections

As per a few studies, several infections can also cause fatty liver disease. A huge number of people have been reported positive for the fatty liver disease once they get hepatitis C. If you already have another medical condition that is causing you to have low immunity, you should keep down any kind of infection. In case you get low immunity and infection at the same time, you should go and consult with your doctor as soon as possible.

Medication

There is a high probability that people who take certain types of medicines for other medical conditions can get fatty liver. For example, Most drugs for cancer and corticosteroid Are known to cause disease in the person who is taking them. If you are taking any of these medications, then you should consult about the fatty liver disease with your doctor.

Other causes

Apart from the above-given major courses, there are a few other causes that can also cause fatty liver disease. For example, non-Hispanic whites are more vulnerable to getting the fatty liver disease than African Americans. 

Age also plays a major role in someone getting the fatty liver disease as old age people are more vulnerable rather than youngsters. Even though children and youngsters are also at high risk, the odds of getting the fatty liver disease in children and youngsters are very low.

At the same time, rapid weight loss can also cause fatty liver disease. Even though weight loss is a very good treatment option for fatty liver disease, sometimes weight loss, more than 2% of body weight per week, Can also cause fatty liver disease.

People who are struggling with metabolic disorders are more vulnerable to getting liver disease. In some studies, it has already been pointed out that metabolic syndrome can cause fatty liver disease.

Diet for fatty liver disease

Before we talk about the treatment of fatty liver disease, let’s discuss the diet. Let me tell you why we are discussing the diet for fatty liver disease. When you go for the treatment of fatty liver disease, your doctor will suggest you keep a good eye on your diet and lifestyle.

It is your diet and lifestyle which can treat fatty liver disease because the Food and Drug Administration of the United States has not approved any medication for the disease. Yes, there is no medication for fatty liver disease. You have to focus on your diet and lifestyle choices.

Foods to avoid

First of all, your doctor will ask you to stop consuming any fast food. Food items that are high in fat can also cause you several problems, including fatty liver disease, and it is always a wise decision to avoid while getting the treatment.

You might be asked to stop consuming several types of burgers, sandwiches, sausages, Pizza, pancakes, pretzels, doughnuts, fried chicken, and much more. At the same time, you also might have to stop consuming several beverages, including soda, shakes, Alcoholic Beverages, etc. 

You should also control yourself from eating food items that are high in sodium. Your liver has to work hard in order to work with sodium-rich food. And we are trying to do the opposite, so it is always the best advice to avoid sodium-rich food items.

At the same time, your doctor will ask you to avoid raw or uncooked shellfish, which can contain several bacteria. These bacteria are very harmful to your overall health, especially your liver health.

Best Diet

The second thing your doctor will ask you to start is a good diet. In recent years it has already been proven that the Mediterranean diet and dash diet are the best diets for most health conditions.

Your doctor will ask you to lose at least five to 10% of your overall body weight in order to treat fatty liver disease only if you are overweight or obese. There is a direct relation between vegetables, fruits, and weight loss.

You will be advised to start your day with fresh fruits and oatmeal for breakfast. After that, you have to focus on consuming more vegetables and protein items. Most of your protein items are going to be legumes, tofu, and Seafood. 

Your aim with your diet is going to be to limit your turn of food items that are high in calories. You also have to create a calorie deficit with your diet with the help of exercise to lose weight and improve your overall condition.

Fiber is the best food for your liver, and you should try to increase fiber items. For example, fresh fruits, broccoli, cabbage, legumes, and whole grains are very high in fiber. You should try to consume them as much as possible but do not cross more than 45 grams of fiber daily.

Other than focusing on your alcoholic beverages, you should focus on drinking more water. 4 to 5 liters of water on a daily basis can improve your liver health and relieve you from disease.

Kindly remember diet alone is not going to do anything if you are not doing regular exercise. Your doctor will advise you to do at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week.

Treatment of Fatty Liver Disease

Till now, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States has not approved any medication for fatty liver disease. If you go to your doctor for the same condition, your doctor will suggest a few home care remedies which will lower every symptom.

First of all, your doctor will ask you to start losing weight as well. It has already been proven that losing weight can reduce fat and inflammation in your liver. It is always a good idea to lose at least three to 5% of your total body fat.

After that, you should quit drinking and start drinking more water. You should keep a healthy diet and exercise more than ever. It is always a good idea to keep checking your blood sugar levels as maintaining your diabetes can also help you treat fatty liver disease.

Precautions for Fatty Liver Disease

Before we wrap this blog, let’s talk about the precautions for fatty liver disease. Everyone will suggest you take precautions then treatment. 

First of all, you should limit your drinking. As with this interest in Disease Control and prevention, you should not be drinking more than one standard drink a day if you are a woman and two drinks if you are a man.

You should also try to avoid taking any medication along with alcohol. Even if your doctor says, it is OK to take your medicine along with alcohol.

As we have already talked about in the dissection, you should start eating a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.