Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, characterized by excessive accumulation of fat in organ cells, is considered an epidemic of the 21st century. On average, it occurs in about 20-33% of the adult population of the planet. Why it occurs and what symptoms can occur, SM-Clinic gastroenterologist Evgenia Melnikova told socialbites.ca.
According to him, the predisposing factors for fatty hepatosis are high-calorie diet, excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates (cakes, cakes, candy, preserves, jam), sugary drinks, fructose (honey, freshly squeezed juices, sweet fruits).
“The insidiousness of this pathology is that fatty hepatosis can occur for a long time without any symptoms and is often found by chance during ultrasound, CT or MRI of the abdominal organs. Over time, symptoms gradually appear, but are not very specific: feeling of fatigue, decreased performance, general weakness, nausea, heaviness in the right hypochondrium, loss of appetite. But all this can also be a symptom of other diseases,” the doctor said.
Over the years, more dangerous symptoms appear. For example, heart pain – when the liver is filled with fat, does not have enough space, it starts to press on the heart, especially when lying on the left side. Therefore, if everything is fine with your heart but it hurts, you should have your liver checked.
In addition, visual impairment may develop against the background of the disease due to vitamin A deficiency caused by insufficient bile production by the liver.
Dangerous conditions such as hypercholesterolemia (cholesterol is not broken down due to lack of bile) and osteoporosis (due to impaired absorption of vitamin D due to its low synthesis by the liver) are possible.
Dangerous symptoms of fatty liver include nosebleeds and bruises on the skin, as well as gynecomastia (increased size of the mammary glands in men compared to the female type), caused by a decrease in the synthesis of blood clotting factors in the liver cells. The doctor noted that spider veins form on the body due to excess estrogen accumulation in the liver.
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Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.