FATTY LIVER – WHAT IT IS – WHAT TO DO

Fatty liver disease (FLD) is very common. Generally, it results when extra fat is stored in your liver. Since it has no direct symptoms, most people don’t know they have it. FLD doesn’t usually cause serious problems, but it can lead to severe liver damage.

FLD is a sneaky disease, but it can be prevented, stopped, and even reversed. Mostly this is a lifestyle change issue that usually involves weight loss and diet composition alteration. Steatosis is another word for FLD

What is Fatty Liver Disease?

Fatty liver disease (steatosis) is caused by fat build-up in your liver. The liver always contains a small amount of fat, but it gets problematic when it reaches 5 to 10 percent of your liver’s weight.

Types of fatty liver disease:

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD):

NAFLD is a disease that is not caused by excessive alcohol use. Here are two varieties:

• Uncomplicated fatty liver, where you have fat in your liver but no inflammation or liver cellular damage.
• Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is when you have inflammation, liver cell damage, and fat in your liver. Fibrosis – liver scarring – can lead to cirrhosis and/or liver cancer.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease:

Alcoholic fatty liver disease results from heavy alcohol use. When breaking down alcohol, your liver generates harmful substances. This damages liver cells and promotes inflammation. The more you drink, the more your liver is damaged.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease is the first stage of alcohol-related liver disease. The following stages are alcoholic hepatitis and/or cirrhosis.

Progression of Fatty Liver Disease:

The above diagram illustrates transitions in the liver as fatty liver disease progresses. As you can see, it doesn’t end well. The stages at the end of the blue arrows are reversible. The ones at the end of the red ones are not.

Undiagnosed and untreated non-alcoholic or alcoholic fatty liver disease will both eventually end in serious illness or even death. The pathways between these two diseases are slightly different, but the eventual outcome is similar in both types.

Fatty Liver Disease Symptoms:

Unfortunately, both types of FLD can go unnoticed for quite some time. By the time symptoms manifest, the disease can be well advanced. Here are the warning signs:

Early:

• Generalized Fatigue
• Pain or discomfort in the upper right abdomen where your liver sits

These early symptoms are vague and could mean many things.

Advanced:

• Abdominal swelling
• Enlarged blood vessels
• Swollen spleen
• Reddish palms
• Yellowing skin and eyes.

In all these cases, see your doctor.

Who is Most Likely to Get Fatty Liver Disease?

So What Can You Do About Both Types of Fatty Liver Disease?

Here’s what Johns Hopkins advises:

“If you have NASH, no medication is available to reverse the fat buildup in your liver. In some cases, the liver damage stops or even reverses itself. But in others, the disease continues to progress. If you have NASH, it’s important to control any conditions that may contribute to fatty liver disease. Treatments and lifestyle changes may include:

• Losing weight
• Medication to reduce cholesterol or triglycerides
• Medication to reduce blood pressure
• Medication to control diabetes
• Limiting OTC drugs
• Avoiding alcohol
• Seeing a liver specialist”

Here’s my OMY1 Advice on Fatty Liver Disease:

First, if you fit into any of the above categories next to the fat guy in the picture, assume you have fatty liver disease and act accordingly with the Johns Hopkins list given above, especially the part about seeing a doctor.

Your first step is to rule out the fatty liver disease with routine liver testing. If you have it, then seek the help and advice of a liver specialist. Otherwise, if you fit the categories given above, then:

1. Lose weight the OMY way and get in the mid-range of the BMI scale.
2. Get started on an entry-level exercise program and stick with it.
3. Stop eating crappy food – you already know this.
4. Stop or drastically reduce alcohol consumption.

So now what?

Well, the worst thing about fatty liver disease is that it hides from its victims. It often doesn’t reveal itself until it’s too late to do much about it, short of a liver transplant. It can happen to anyone, but it is most often a result of lifestyle.

This is good news because it means you can do something to prevent and even reverse it. The important thing is to get ahead of it. With 60 percent of the western world being overweight or obese, it’s a good bet that many undiagnosed cases are waiting out there to deliver a nasty surprise.

So see your personal care provider and get an evaluation – beat fatty liver disease before it beats you.

OMY1

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