The health of the liver is of paramount importance for a healthy body. The role of the liver is crucial in keeping the body clean by processing away all the waste and other substances from the body. If the liver is not functioning properly, harmful substances accumulate in the body and affect the functioning of many other organs.
Liver cirrhosis and fatty liver are the main problems affecting the liver. Fatty liver is basically an accumulation of fat in the liver. There are two types of fatty liver. Alcoholic fatty liver is caused by alcohol consumption. And non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is commonly seen in people with obesity and diabetes.
Due to excessive alcohol consumption, the liver cells are damaged, and the immune system is disturbed due to this. Liver disease due to alcohol is the first stage of fatty liver. This can later lead to problems including liver cirrhosis. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can be difficult to diagnose because it may not show any symptoms for years.
People who do not pay much attention to lifestyle and diet are more likely to develop fatty liver. It is estimated that 50% of people in the country have non-alcoholic fatty liver. Some of the main symptoms include fatigue, weakness, weight loss, memory loss, vomiting, pain in the upper abdomen and lower abdomen, yellowing of the skin or eyes, itchy skin, and swollen feet.
The best way to defend against fatty liver is to follow a proper diet and exercise routine. If the symptoms are revealed at an earlier stage, you can easily resist the disease by making a few lifestyle changes. Earlier fatty liver was detected through laboratory tests like liver biopsy. But today it is possible to detect fatty liver through ultrasound scanning, fibro scan, etc. These tests look at the hardness and fat content of the liver.
(Information: Dr. Priya Nair, Assoc. Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Amrita Hospital)
