When more than 5 to 10 percent of the weight of your liver is fat, the condition is known as fatty liver.
Fatty liver may lead to permanent damage if not treated in time
HIGHLIGHTS
- Fatty liver hampers the normal functioning of your liver
- High LDL levels are also indicative of fatty liver disease
- If you are diabetic, you are at a higher risk of fatty liver disease
Hepatic steatosis or simply fatty liver is a condition of fat accumulation inside the liver. Some fat on the liver is normal, but too much of it, definitely not! When more than 5 to 10 percent of the weight of your liver is fat, the condition is known as fatty liver. It hampers the normal functioning of your liver. To make matters worse, this condition may lead to permanent damage if not treated in time. Dr. Anil Arora says, "Most of the times, the symptoms of fatty liver are quite infrequent and indistinct. This condition mostly occurs due to excess weight, diabetes, raised cholesterol, genetics, alcohol, and hypertension."
Take a look at the 7 classic symptoms of a fatty liver disease.
1. Fatigue
If one organ of your body becomes weak or dysfunctional, the body tried to protect itself by pumping more blood to that part of the body. This leads to exhaustion, weakness, energy loss, poor judgment and problems while concentrating. However, many other health conditions can lead to these. Due to this, doctors usually miss a fatty liver diagnosis.
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2. Obesity
Carrying excess weight increases the risk of fatty liver disease by 75%!
Mid-aged people, those who are in their 40s and 50s and have a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to develop fatty liver. So stick to a healthy and balanced diet. Such conditions can also hamper your body's ability to digest food and take in all the nutrients. And to make matters worse, if you continue on a diet high in fat, sugar, and salt, your risk of developing fatty liver further worsens.
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3. Changes in the urinecolour
Patients suffering from jaundice witness problems while urinating. The colour of the urine becomes unusually dark, it smells and may even cause you some pain. This happens because your liver fails to process certain toxins which are then passed through the urine. It is indicative of a weak liver.
4. You become a binge-eater
One of the early signs of the fatty liver disease is binge-eating unhealthy foods. You tend to feel hungry all the times and experience this strange craving for sugar. Such unhealthy habits add on the already-present fat in your liver and make matters worse for you. Keep a tab on what you eat and how much you eat. This will help you curb an excess craving for unhealthy foods.
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5. High cholesterol
High LDL levels are also indicative of fatty liver disease. You may feel that it is indicative of an increased heart disease risk, but actually, the cholesterol that you measure in your blood is a product of your liver. Cholesterol in your blood is produced by your liver on the basis of what you eat. So if you eat foods high in trans fats, it will increase your cholesterol levels considerably.
6. Diabetes
If you are diabetic, you are at a higher risk of fatty liver disease. These patients may not show any outward symptoms but an ultrasound test is more helpful in unveiling the truth.
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7. High blood pressure
People dealing with fatty liver disease, according to a recent study, were three times more likely to have high blood pressure. So it is very important for you to keep a constant tab on your blood pressure and heart health, just in case if you are at a high risk of fatty liver disease.
Dr Arora further added, "Fatty liver, per se, may not have any symptoms. You may experience faint discomfort in the upper quadrant of the liver. An ultrasonogram is more trustworthy for diagnosis of the condition. Most symptoms here are non-specific which a major problem of this condition is.
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(Dr Anil Arora is the Chairman of the Gastroenterologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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