Medically known as steatosis, fatty liver is an accumulation of fat cells in the liver which can be caused by many factors. There are many types of fatty liver, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Each type of fatty liver is typically asymptomatic and is usually found in the course of normal or routine blood screenings or in the course of ruling out another disease or condition. It is thought that fatty liver sometimes occurs as a result of a faulty fat transfer from one part of the body to another, but may also be caused by increased fat extraction of fat presented to the liver from the intestine. Another cause for fatty liver is a decrease in the rate at which the liver breaks down and removes fat from the system.
Known risk factors for fatty liver includes obesity, starvation, diabetes, corticosteroids, poisons, Cushings Syndrome, hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the blood), hepatitis C and irritable bowel syndrome. Microvescular Fatty Liver can be caused by valproic acid toxicity, high doses of tetracycline and occasionally during pregnancy. The liver is typically enlarged with a minor elevation of liver enzyme tests. Fatty liver is one of the most common causes of isolated elevated liver enzymes. The disease might be indicated by ultrasound, CT or MRI, however a liver biopsy is necessary to make a definitive diagnosis of fatty liver.
Treatment for fatty liver may not be needed in mild cases, however for some forms of fatty liver eliminating alcohol, controlling blood sugar and careful weight loss may be suggested. It is very important that fatty liver be carefully monitored, no matter the type or the cause. Up to ten percent of those with cirrhotic fatty liver will convert to a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma. The disease is seen in around 10-24% of the general public worldwide, however it is seen in up to 75% of the obese (Source: Health Scout).
A Healthy Liver
The liver is the body’s second largest internal organ and weighs between three to four pounds. It sits on the right hand side of the body, just underneath the rib cage. The role of the liver:
– The production of bile, which digests fat
– Produces and stores glycogen which can then be converted to glucose
– Metabolizing and synthesizing protein in the body which results in the formation of urea as well.
– Stores vitamins A, D, E and K
– Produces several blood components that includes the clotting factors
– The liver also inactivates the nicotine ingested during smoking before it can reach the stomach or other parts of the body.
– It neutralizes poisons that include carbon tetrachloride, arsenic, and others.
(Source: MacLean 1993)
Other Liver Problems Beyond Fatty Liver
Inflammation of the liver is medically called hepatitis and it is caused by a virus in most cases.
Type A hepatitis is spread by contaminated food, water and shellfish but can also be caused by direct oral-anal contact during sexual intimacy. Within two to four weeks of the initial infection, mild to severe liver inflammation begins and may be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, pain, darkly colored urine, light colored stools and jaundice. This form of hepatitis has no treatment, however most people do recover on their own within six months. There are vaccines for Type A hepatitis.
Type B hepatitis is considered to be a sexually transmitted disease and is spread most commonly through sexual intercourse; however it can also be spread by needle sharing and by maternal transfer to the fetus. Within one to three months of the initial contamination, liver disease may begin but is generally fought off without medical treatment. Some may not have the disease per se, but will be considered to be carriers and will typically show no symptoms at all. They do have a higher risk of cirrhosis, which is a more serious and degenerative liver disease and/or cancer. Type B is highly contagious and can even be spread by kissing.
Type C hepatitis was only designated as non-Type A and non-Type B until 1989 when it was identified as an individual virus and is typically found after transfusion and can also be caused by sexual activity. Type D appears in conjunction with Type B and Type E can be found in conjunction with Type A.
There is a vaccine for Type B hepatitis which must be administered in three separate and specifically timed doses. This vaccine is considered to be 95% effective and is recommended for those who are considered to be at high risk including medical, dental and hospital workers, those who are having blood transfusions or dialysis. The vaccine is also routinely given to newborn babies and high risk teens.
Four million people are thought to have hepatitis C, which is now the leading blood borne infection in the United States. Symptoms can appear decades after infection and include:
– Fatigue
– Nausea
– Poor appetite
– Muscle and joint pain
– Tenderness in the right upper abdomen.
Over half of those who have been infected with hepatitis C have possibly been infected through the use of needle drugs with another large percentage being infected by blood transfusions prior to 1992 when blood screening practices were changed.
Hepatitis E may infect up to 5% of Americans although it is technically referred to as “rare” in the country. It is spread by contaminated water and is common in Mexico as well as in some African and Asian countries (Source: Ammer 2005).
Cirrhosis of the liver is a disease that is most often associated with chronic drinkers and may affect nearly twenty percent of all heavy drinkers. It is often possible to develop cirrhosis after a hepatic infection such as those described above or by untreated or progressing fatty liver. Cirrhosis may also develop because of the use of certain drugs and the over consumption of salt.
Cirrhosis may develop quietly and without symptoms until it has caused serious and irreversible damage. Possible symptoms include: soreness under the rib cage, swollen ankles and weight loss. If treated early, alcoholic cirrhosis can be treated, but a lifetime abstention of alcohol is necessary. In addition, a diet rich in protein and supplemental vitamins will be necessary.
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