Michael Mosley discusses the improved quality of liquid diets
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Fatty liver disease comes in two main forms. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the term for a range of conditions caused by a build-up of fat in the liver. You can also get alcohol-related liver disease, which is liver damage that is caused by drinking too much alcohol. The Cleveland Clinic explains fatty liver disease is a common condition caused by the storage of extra fat in the liver.
A healthy liver should contain little or no fat, though the NHS estimates up to one in every three people in the UK has early stages of NAFLD, where there are small amounts of fat in their liver.
The Cleveland Clinic states: “Most people have no symptoms, and it doesn’t cause serious problems for them.”
Nonetheless, there are some signs which may crop up, and indicate you should speak to a doctor.
The British Liver Trust says swelling of the tummy area, known as ascites, is something to “tell a doctor” about “straight away”.
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Other signs include:
- Yellowness of the eyes and skin (jaundice) – this may be harder to notice if you have black or brown skin
- Bruising easily
- Dark urine
- Vomiting blood
- Dark black tarry poo
- Periods of confusion, forgetting things, mood changes or poor judgement (encephalopathy)
- Itching skin
Nonetheless, the Trust notes NAFLD often causes no specific symptoms, even if the disease is at a later stage.
It says you may not show any symptoms for many years. If you have NAFLD you may have:
- Tiredness, fatigue or a general feeling of lethargy or having no energy
- Discomfort on the upper right side of your tummy (where your liver is)
“Even if you have no symptoms, if you are at risk and are worried, ask your doctor for a test,” it says.
If detected and managed at an early stage, NAFLD can be stopped from getting worse and the amount of fat in your liver can be reduced.
It explains: “NAFLD might only be diagnosed when it has become serious. Or you might only find out you have it during tests for another health problem.
“If your doctor thinks you have any form of liver disease they will try to find out what is causing it and how damaged your liver is.
“Doctors use a range of tests to get different information and build up an overall picture of what is happening.”
It says: “It is very important that the amount of scarring in your liver is tested as part of your NAFLD diagnosis. This is the main sign of how advanced your liver disease is.”
The organisation explains: “The main treatment for NAFLD is eating a healthy diet, being more physically active and (if needed) losing weight.
“This might seem like very general advice, but these steps all reduce liver fat and inflammation. For example, for people who are overweight, evidence shows losing five to 10 percent of their body weight can stop and sometimes even reverse liver damage.
“There are currently no medicines to specifically treat NAFLD. But there is a lot of research being done to develop some.”
“Early-stage NAFLD does not usually cause any harm, but it can lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis, if it gets worse,” the NHS website states.
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