What are the symptoms of fatty liver

Due to today’s customs, diet and pace of life, the so-called fatty liver non-alcoholic (NAFLD) is an increasingly prevalent condition, which in our country affects more than one in three people. What are your symptoms?

Also know as “hepatic steatosis“, is a condition that is characterized by the accumulation of fat in that organ, which is vital as it helps digest food, store energy and eliminate toxins. Therefore, the liver plays a crucial role in digestion, metabolism and detoxification of the body.

On a global level, this pathology advances quickly and silently, and is a real problem that can lead to serious consequences: NAFLD does not present symptoms in its early stages, but in the long term it can end in cirrhosis or Liver cancer.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a prestigious disease dedicated – among others – to the clear dissemination of health, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease “is a liver problem that affects people who drink little or no alcohol.”

“In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, there is a lot of fat accumulation in this organ. It is seen more frequently in people with overweight or obesity. “It is becoming more common, especially in Western and Middle Eastern countries, as the number of people with obesity increases,” he continues.

In addition, it indicates that among the causes, experts do not know exactly why fat accumulates in some livers and not in others, but that it is related to genetics, overweight, insulin resistance, diabetes and high levels of fat. , particularly triglycerides in the blood.

What are the symptoms of fatty liver

Of course, the first thing to mention is that you consult a medical specialist before self-diagnosing any illness due to symptoms what do you feel. Experts are the only ones indicated to treat sick people.

The Mayo Clinic website indicates that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease generally does not have symptoms and, when it does, they may be general, shared with other diseases. Coinciding with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)they name the main symptoms as “tiredness or fatigue” and “general malaise.”

You can feel a constant tiredness and without apparent cause, which may be an indication of fatty liver. Fat accumulated in the liver can interfere with its normal functioning, leading to fatigue and lack of energy.

Another symptom could be pain or discomfort in the upper right part of the abdomen. It is a discomfort in the upper right part of the belly, below the ribs, which may or may not be a symptom of fatty liver. This pain is due to the enlargement of this organ of the body.

As a third possible symptom, the loss of appetite. A reduction in the desire to eat without cause may be related to fatty liver, since the accumulated fat could affect the production of hormones that regulate appetite. Nausea and vomiting These are other possible signs of suffering from more advanced cases of fatty liver, since by interfering with digestion, it may be the cause of the latter two.

Other possible symptoms

• Skin itch.
• Shortness of breath.
• Swelling of the legs.
• Enlarged blood vessels just below the surface of the skin.
• Dilation of the spleen.
• Red palms.
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).