What is fatty liver?
Fatty liver, or steatosis, is a term that describes the build-up of excess fat in the liver. While it’s normal to have some fat in your liver for its regular functioning, when fat makes up at least 5% of the liver its termed as fatty liver. Fatty liver can be a completely benign (Not harmful) condition and usually does not lead to liver damage. However, once there is a build-up of simple fat, the liver becomes vulnerable to further injury, which may result in inflammation and scarring of the liver.
Causes of fatty liver include:
- Alcoholism- Most common cause
- Obesity
- hyperlipidemia, or high levels of fats in the blood
- Diabetes
- Genetic inheritance
- Rapid weight loss
- Side effect of certain medications, including aspirin, steroids, tamoxifen, and tetracycline.
Treatment:
There isn’t a medication or surgery to treat fatty liver. Lifestyle modifications like-
- Limiting or avoiding alcoholic beverages
- Managing your cholesterol
- Losing weight
- Controlling your blood sugar
- Avoiding high amount of fatty and sugary foods
- Dietary modification-Increasing fibre like fruits and vegetables, Whole grain cereals, sprouts
- Exercising- 45-60 minutes at least 4-5 days/week
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