Fatty liver disease, or FLD, is a condition in which excess fat is stored inside the cells of the liver. If left untreated, the condition can cause serious damage to the liver, and can even progress to other, more serious conditions, such as cirrhosis. FLD is often cause by long-term alcohol consumption, although according to BritishLiverTrust.org and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the symptoms are the same whether or not FLD is caused by alcohol.
No Symptoms
FLD is often considered a silent disease, according to Mayo Clinic.com. Patients are therefore often diagnosed only after the condition has advanced to something more serious. FLD is often discovered during regular checkups, says Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology. Because FLD can develop into a life-threatening condition, such as cirrhosis of the liver, it is wise to have regular medical exams even if no problems seem to have manifested.
Fatigue and Weight Loss
A variety of liver diseases make the patient feel tired, and this is a common symptom of FLD as well. As the disease is progressing, however, the slight tiredness can turn into exhaustion, according to MayoClinic.com Some patients also experience loss of appetite and weight loss.
Pain Near the Liver
As FLD progresses, the liver tends to grow larger and harden. Pain can eventually results, and this is usually described by the patients as dull pain or discomfort, according to the Bupa website. Typically, the pain comes in waves and lasts only a few minutes at a time. These short pain attacks may be quite frequent, and as the disease progresses, they occur more often. Symptoms may worsen if the patient drinks alcohol.
Confusion
Toward the end of this disease, the patient is likely to suffer from serious mental confusion and disorientation. These symptoms are caused by a seriously damaged liver that is unable to remove toxic substances from the blood.
