What are the Types of Fatty Liver Disease?
The Cleveland Clinic states, “There are two main forms of fatty liver disease:
- Alcoholic liver disease
It is associated with heavy drinking for several years. Alcoholic fatty liver is the accumulation of fat in the liver as a result of heavy drinking. (Moderate drinking is defined as one drink a day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.) About 5% of people in the U.S. have this form of liver disease. - Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
It occurs in people who aren’t heavy drinkers. The condition affects one in three adults and in the same way one in 10 children in the United States. Researchers haven’t found the exact cause of NAFLD. Several factors, such as obesity and diabetes, can increase your risk.”
What is Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)? Are YOU at Risk?
Four Stages of Inflamed Liver
According to Healthline, there are four stages of fatty liver disease.
- Simple fatty liver
There’s a buildup of excess fat in the liver. So simple fatty liver is largely harmless if it doesn’t progress. - Steatohepatitis
In addition to excess fat, there’s also inflammation in the liver. - Fibrosis
- Persistent inflammation in the liver has now caused scarring. However, the liver can still generally function normally.
- Cirrhosis
Scarring of the liver has become widespread, impairing the liver’s ability to function. This is the most severe stage and is irreversible.”
Hepatitis C Infection
You can have fatty liver disease on its own, or it can accompany a hepatitis C infection.
If you have hepatitis C your chances of developing chronic liver cancer are higher than developing the disease by itself.
According to the data, about 50 percent of people with hepatitis C also have fatty liver disease.
The initial stages of hepatitis often bring flu-like symptoms, including digestive discomfort.
Symptoms and Causes of Fatty Liver, Hepatitis A & C
Symptoms of hepatitis A include flu-like symptoms, such as fever, nausea, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.
Hepatitis A may also cause jaundice, a condition that makes the skin and eyes look yellow and causes stool to become light in color and urine to become dark.
Cirrhosis is the presence of scar tissue in the liver, the largest solid organ in your body.
The early signs of cirrhosis are often subtle, making it likely to go undetected for several years.
Later, it can cause flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.
In later stages, it can cause malnutrition, swelling in the legs or abdomen, and jaundice.
Other less common symptoms of fatty liver disease include:
- Fever and shivering attacks
- Tiny red lines (blood capillaries) on the skin above waist level
- Loss of sex drive (libido)
- Difficulty maintaining weight
- In women, abnormal periods
- In men, enlarged breasts, a swollen scrotum, or shrunken testicles.
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