Fatty liver, also called steatosis, occurs when certain fats inside liver cells accumulate abnormally. Common causes of fatty liver include alcoholism, drugs, toxins, excess body weight, insulin-resistant diabetes, high triglyceride levels in the blood and other metabolic disorders, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. Doctors refer to the disease as either alcoholic or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. When inflammation results, it can develop into scarring and cirrhosis of the liver. Treatment focuses on finding and eliminating the cause of fatty liver.
Identification
Symptoms of fatty liver include fatigue and mild abdominal discomfort. Some people have no symptoms, and only a physical examination discovers the disorder. Elevation of liver enzymes during tests indicates fatty liver, HealthScout explains. Images of the liver through computed tomography scans or magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, can detect an enlarged liver. Doctors confirm a diagnosis by taking a liver biopsy.
Solutions
The disorder often happens to people with metabolic problems or nonalcoholic fatty liver. Losing weight or lowering triglyceride levels can end the disorder. some drugs, including corticosteroids, can cause fatty liver; eliminating the drugs helps to treat the problem. Losing weight can also help rid the liver of fat, according to Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology. If the condition is serous enough, bypass surgery for intestinal reversal may be necessary to lower weight. Controlling blood-sugar levels improves fatty liver disease for diabetics.
Considerations
Other treatments include eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, according to the Mayo Clinic. Doctors may recommend a diet low in fat and high in whole grains as a means to lower weight and repair the liver. Regular activity, such as exercising at least 30 minutes a day, can help. Lowering cholesterol through meals or with medication helps control nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Avoiding alcohol and drugs that can increase the risk of harming the liver helps protect the liver.
Alcohol Warning
Alcoholic fatty liver disease can lead to hepatitis, but many alcoholics have been able to reverse the disease by quitting alcohol completely. However, advanced stages of alcoholism may have already caused irreversible damage to the liver. Fatty liver disease can lead to cirrhosis.
Transplant
Liver transplantation becomes a last resort when cirrhosis causes severe liver damage. Success rates have improved because of advances in surgical techniques and medication, but finding a donated liver may take time, and patients are routinely put on a waiting list. Liver transplant recipients have experience high survival rates.
