Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Liver damage is often linked with excessive drinking. But did you know that you could have a fatty liver even if you haven’t touched a drop of alcohol in your life? That’s true. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a growing modern-day health issue that affects millions today. If you’re someone who can’t resist sugary, fried foods and leads a sedentary lifestyle, you could be on its radar.

The good news is that with healthy lifestyle changes and medication, it’s often preventable and reversible. Scroll down to learn more.

What Are Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Causes

NAFLD is a condition that starts from the initial condition of steatosis, where simple fat starts to assemble in the liver cells. It may lead to a severe form of NASH known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. In such cases, the liver may get inflamed and can cause scarring (fibrosis or cirrhosis of liver). 

The exact cause of non alcoholic fatty liver is not fully understood yet, however, the experts believe that a number of factors like diet, genetics, certain health conditions, and digestive health issues can play a role in its development.

It is predicted factors like metabolic syndrome are primarily involved in causing NAFLD. The components of the syndrome responsible for non alcoholic fatty liver causes are obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes.

Here is more detail on factors associated with non alcoholic fatty liver causes:

• Metabolic syndrome components like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
• Insulin resistance is also one of the causes. Insulin stores fat in the body, causing liver damage.
• Imbalance of gut microbiota can cause NAFLD.
• Genetic factors like issues related to the liver and ethnicity can cause NAFLD. 
• Poor diet with high sugar and fat lacking fiber can also be the cause of this disorder.
• Some drugs like corticosteroids, tamoxifen, and other anti-viral drugs have the risk of causing fatty liver. 
• Lack of physical exercise can cause weight gain and insulin resistance, risk factors for NAFLD.
• Certain medical conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), hypothyroidism, hypopituitarism, and sleep apnea are associated with NAFLD.

Doctors have estimated these to be the non alcoholic fatty liver causes. However, other factors like environment and lifestyle also play a crucial role. Exposure to pollutants and smoking can also contribute to liver damage. For women, hormonal changes can increase the risk of NAFLD.

What Are Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Symptoms

Detecting non alcoholic fatty liver symptoms at their early stages is difficult as it may go unnoticed in the initial stages of development. Sometimes the condition co-exists with issues like obesity, diabetes, or high cholesterol, symptoms of which can mix up.

However, if you face any of the following symptoms, consult a doctor as soon as possible:

• Common symptoms of NAFLD: abdominal gets swelled up, fatigue, profuse sweating, pain in the upper right abdomen.
• Less common symptoms of NAFLD: weight loss, weakness, nausea, or jaundice. 
• Severe symptoms of NAFLD: enlarged spleen, red palms, and enlarged blood vessels.
• Additional symptoms of NAFLD: drowsiness, slurred speech, and severe fatigue.

If you are diagnosed with NAFLD, do not panic. Consult a liver specialist to examine the extent  of liver damage. This diagnosis and examination helps in the proper non alcoholic fatty liver disease treatment based on your severity.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Treatment

By incorporating simple changes in your diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits you can take charge of your health and improve your liver health. For more details, check the non alcoholic fatty liver disease treatment options listed below:

Eat a Liver-Friendly Diet: Make sure to fill up your plate with healthy, whole and unprocessed foods. You don’t need to start restrictive FAD diets, until your doctor recommends. You can safely eat fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean protein.

Cut back on sugary foods, soda, fried foods, as much as possible. It can be difficult in the start, but stay headstrong. Once the condition improves you can be allowed to eat some of these in limited amounts by your doctor.

Move Your Body: Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day can help burn a few extra inches around your waist and reduce liver fat cells. Do moderate activity like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming. Even small efforts like taking stairs instead of lift count! Avoid overdoing exercise if you have a higher BMI, starting things gradually is advised.

Get Proper Nutrition: Just eating healthy is not enough, you also need to meet your nutritional needs. Multivitamins provide relief from NAFLD symptoms, especially Vitamin E, D, B9, B12, A, and C. These vitamins detoxify the liver and help with the condition.

Take Medication: Insulin sensitizers like pioglitazone and rosiglitazone and fat-reducing statins are commonly given to treat NAFLD. Alternate herbal therapies are available, but consulting a doctor beforehand is needed.
Surgical Treatments: Surgery is also an effective management option. Options like bariatric surgery are available for people suffering from severe obesity associated with NAFLD. Get regular check-ups and get the liver biopsy done if required.

Conclusion

Non alcoholic fatty liver is a severe disease due to excessive fat in the liver. The exact cause of the disease has not been discovered; however, certain risk factors are involved such as poor fatty diet, sedentary lifestyle, metabolic disorders like diabetes, etc.  Switching to a healthier lifestyle and following a treatment early on can help treat this issue effectively. Lifestyle changes and medical management are required while properly monitoring the disease, so make sure you’re doing regular health screenings. Maintain your weight with proper nutritional intake to prevent the progression of non alcoholic fatty liver symptoms. All of these tips can help you bounce back your healthier version and beat fatty liver disease!