How to Know If I Have Fatty Liver

Fatty Liver is a worry for me and you. And there are so many “WHY’s” lingering in our minds constantly, so read on and your doubts will be answered. But before that let’s do a refresher on the roles of our liver…

The liver being the largest solid organ in our body performs so many important functions to keep our body healthy 24/7. Do you know where the liver is located? Feel the right side of your upper abdomen, it’s sitting under your rib cage and on top of your stomach, right kidney and intestines.

What are the important functions that were being mentioned?

We know that the liver is responsible in removing toxins from our blood and to maintain a healthy sugar level but not just these, in fact, the liver performs over 500 other essential functions in our body! The key ones include:

Produces bile – carries waste away and breaks down fats in the small intestine during digestion.
Produces albumin – a type of protein which transports hormones, vitamins and enzymes throughout the body.
Metabolizes drugs and clears other poisonous substances.
Aside from toxins, the liver also filters bacteria and protects us from infections.
Removes excess sugar from the blood and stores it as glycogen. Glycogen can be converted back to glucose when needed.
And many more…

Now that we realize how precious the liver is to us. One of the most common consequences of not caring enough for your liver is the risk of contracting Fatty Liver. As the name suggests, it’s a condition when there are too much fats built up in the liver.

Forms of Fatty Liver

Considering the cause behind, there’s the:

Alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Occurs in individuals who drink excessive alcohol over a long period of time. (Standard drink refers to only one drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks for men)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. (NAFLD)

- Non alcohol drinkers are not totally safe from fatty liver disease as well! NAFLD may possibly be associated with having risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes and being overweight or obese.

Not intending to scare you BUT how bad can a Fatty Liver get?

Fatty liver does not mean the ‘end of the world’ as it does not prevent the liver from functioning normally UNLESS measures are not taken to improve, this condition may get real bad.

Liver looks healthy.

Fats accumulate in the liver.

Inflammation (swelling) happens and damages liver tissues. These damages cause scar tissues to form and lead to Fibrosis.
Cirrhosis occurs when more scar tissues start to replace healthy liver tissues and this slows down the liver’s functions.
Eventually leading to liver damage and cancer.

What may increase your risk of Fatty Liver?

Being overweight or obese
Having type 2 diabetes
Having metabolic syndrome (a combination diagnosis of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high total cholesterol and type 2 diabetes)
Taking certain medicines. (Check with your pharmacist for more information)

Now the big question is: HOW do you know if you are suspected to have Fatty Liver?

The answer is often NO SYMPTOMS, if it’s an early stage of Fatty Liver. However! If you do experience symptoms like: pain in the upper right side of your belly, feeling nauseous, extremely tired, eyes and skin turning yellowish, swollen belly and legs; then you need to seek medical advice immediately as the liver might be already in a very bad shape.

If you are at risk of developing Fatty Liver but not showing any symptoms, that does not mean you are completely off the hook! A full blood test showing higher levels of Liver enzymes may be a red flag that the liver is facing some injuries.

What can we do to manage our Liver with care?

Till today, there is still no effective medicine to cure Fatty Liver successfully. Nevertheless, making lifestyle changes to prevent and manage Fatty Liver is crucial to ensure good overall health. Here are a few tips to take note:

Limit or completely avoid alcohol intake!
(Standard drink for men: Up to 2 drinks per day; for women: 1 drink per day)

Eat a healthy and balanced diet. You can never go wrong with a healthy diet as the saying goes “you are what you eat”! Healthcare professionals recommend the Mediterranean diet that contains higher amounts of vegetables, fruits and good fats (such as olive oil)

Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight range.

Go for regular medical check ups and blood tests.

Discuss with a doctor/pharmacist on how to properly manage any existing medical conditions i.e diabetes, high cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure

If you are a smoker, quit smoking as early as possible! Taking this step can give significant benefits not just to the liver, but for the heart, lungs and overall health.

Can my Fatty Liver be reversed back to a healthy liver?

It is not a mission impossible if the Fatty Liver was detected at an early stage. This is only achievable with consistent adaptation of a healthy lifestyle and diet in order to help reduce the excessive liver fat and inflammation.

For more information on Fatty Liver, don’t be shy to approach our friendly pharmacists at your nearest CARiNG Pharmacy because we CARE for you!

References:

Liver: Anatomy and Functions. John Hopkins Medicine. (Web accessed January 2023). Web link: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/liver-anatomy-and-functions#:~:text=Functions%20of%20the%20liver&text=All%20the%20blood%20leaving%20the,body%20or%20that%20are%20nontoxic.
The Liver and Its Functions. Columbia University Irving Medical Centre. (Web accessed January 2023). Web link: https://columbiasurgery.org/liver/liver-and-its-functions
Fatty Liver Disease. Cleveland Clinic. (Web accessed January 2023). Web link: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15831-fatty-liver-disease
Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. NHS UK. (Web accessed January 2023). Web link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/non-alcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/#:~:text=Non%2Dalcoholic%20fatty%20liver%20disease%20(NAFLD)%20is%20the%20term,cirrhosis%2C%20if%20it%20gets%20worse
Here’s the Skinny on Fatty Liver Disease. Free Malaysia Today. (Web accessed January 2023). Web link: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/health/2022/12/05/heres-the-skinny-on-fatty-liver-disease/