How Do You Stop Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease From Spreading?

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is an umbrella term for varieties of liver conditions, which affect people drinking no or very less amount of alcohol. The prime feature of this is the excessive storage of fat in one’s liver cells. The problem is consistently increasing across the world, especially in different regions of the Western countries. Moreover, a few of the individuals suffering from nonalcoholic fatty liver develop nonalcoholic steatohepatitis i.e. an aggressive type of fatty liver, which involves the inflammation of the liver. In some cases, the problem further progresses to cause cirrhosis i.e. advanced liver scarring and liver failure. The damage, in this case, is almost similar to the one caused by heavy alcohol intake. ⁽¹⁾

Research studies have highlighted that losing bodyweight is the most effective way to manage nonalcoholic fatty liver symptoms or reverse your condition. Even you will get drastic improvement in your liver health if you lose about 3percent or 5percent of body/liver fat. However, you should discuss with your doctor to shed extra body fat safely and without any other problem. Common options are-

• Healthy and balanced diet (low carbohydrate diet plan is preferable)
• Regular physical exercise ⁽²⁾

Shifts and/or adjustments in your daily diet help you a lot in losing your body weight. Also, this step helps you improving your overall health and reducing the fat accumulated in the liver. Along with this, you have to make a few of the additional adjustments, such as-

• Have fruits and green veggies in enough amount
• Make a habit to intake Omega-3 rich foods, like for instance fish
• Have food items containing fiber in high amounts
• Strictly avoid junk foods or anything, which has carbohydrate in high amount
• Put a limit on your sugar intake
• Put a limit on salt and soda items
• Put a limit on trans-fat and saturated food items ⁽²⁾

In many cases, you may suffer from the nonalcoholic fatty liver because of other health conditions. In this situation, you should essentially treat such problems to reverse your fatty liver problem. These conditions include-

• High level of triglycerides and another similar type of fat component in your blood
• High level of cholesterol
• Diabetes and prediabetes
• Sleep disorders or sleep apnea
• Hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid
• Hypopituitarism i.e. underactive pituitary gland
• Polycystic ovary syndrome ⁽²⁾

Alcohol intake results in a buildup of fat in the liver. It even causes damage to the respective organ. Hence, you should strictly avoid the intake of alcohol. If you face difficulty in stopping alcohol intake completely, you should make your habit to drink less. ⁽²⁾

A few of the over the counter medications cause strain in your liver. In this situation, you have to follow the necessary dose directions while taking acetaminophen. Moreover, you should read the medicines’ labels properly, as acetaminophen is there in many of the painkillers and cough-cold medications. To stay safe, you should discuss each of the supplements and drugs you take with your doctor. Along with this, depending on your symptoms, doctors may restrict you to take naproxen, ibuprofen or any other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. ⁽²⁾

If you are a patient of nonalcoholic fatty liver, you require vaccinations to protect you against both hepatitis A and hepatitis B, as these viruses may cause further damages to your liver. Other than this, you should get flu shots yearly. ⁽²⁾

When nonalcoholic fatty liver disease causes symptoms, they are-

• Tiredness or fatigue
• Feeling of discomfort or pain in the upper right region of the patient’s abdomen

However, when your problem reaches to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis followed by cirrhosis, you will experience additional symptoms, like-

• Ascites i.e. swelling in your abdomen
• Enlarged blood vessels below the surface of your skin
• Red palms
• Enlarged spleen and liver
• Yellowing of your eyes and skin

References –

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20354567
2. https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/reverse-nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease#1

Also Read:

• How To Diagnose Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease & What Is The Best Medicine For It?
• Is Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease A Serious Condition & Can It Be Reversed?
• Lifestyle Changes For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
• What Is The Prognosis For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?
• Best Exercises/Activities For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
• How Dangerous Is Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease & Is It Contagious?
• Is There A Surgery For Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?