Friday, August 12, 2011

Fatty Liver Disease: What You Need to Know

The liver is one of the most complex organs in the human body. The job description of this organ includes an important role in metabolizing and detoxification. Many individuals suffer from a condition called fatty liver disease or (FDL). Like any disease to the liver it's important to catch this before it gets out of hand.

How to discover if you have fatty liver disease?

STEATOSIS

When a type of fat known as triglyceride accumulates in liver cells, a blockage or backup takes place called steatosis. Generally there are no obvious symptoms. The most common way for your doctor to detect fatty liver disease is through a blood test. Elevated liver enzymes are the first sign that there may be an issue. Fat retention in the cells is the basic cause of fatty liver disease, but determining what is causing this fat build up will determine how your doctor treats you.

Who is at risk of fatty liver disease?

Anyone is at risk of developing fatty liver disease. The causes range from malnutrition, exposure to drugs or toxins, as well as hepatitis C. Those most likely to suffer from this include diabetics, alcoholics, and those suffering from obesity. One of the effects of a more severe case of (FLD) is inflammation of the liver which can cause a host of other complications in your liver as well as other organs. After determination of the presence of elevated enzymes, your doctor may order an ultra sound and ultimately an MRI is order to have a closer look at the organ. Alcohol consumption may or may not be the cause of this ailment, but a rule of thumb is measurement of consumption. Less than two drinks per day would indicate a non-alcoholic fatty liver while two or more alcoholic drinks per day would lead to alcoholic fatty liver disease.

What are my chances for treating for recovery?

If caught early, the chances of recovery are generally positive. This assumption is based on determining what is causing (FLD) to begin with. If for example, if alcohol consumption is the cause, simply cutting down considerably or quitting all together may prevent future complications such as cirrhosis of the liver. On the other hand, if the cause is determined to be metabolic in nature, such as diabetes, then the road to recovery may take a different turn. With diabetes, the disease causes other complications in the body such as fatty liver. This is primarily due to excessively high levels of glucose in the blood. It's impossible to tackle the fatty liver issue until the cause, diabetes in under control. One of the destructive results of fatty liver is inflammation. One of the most natural ways to fight this is with Omega 3 fish oil. Fish oil is full of fatty acids that work to control and decrease inflammation in the body. Foods with high concentrations of EPA and DHA, fatty acids found in fish oil have been clinically proven to combat the inflammation that results from fatty liver disease. Omega 3 fish oil has been proven to combat fat build up in the blood, as evidenced by controlling excessive levels of cholesterol. The same fatty acids found in fish oil have proven to fight hepatitis which is inflammation of the liver.

Conclusion

Make no mistake about it. There is a solution to fatty liver disease. First thing is to determine if you are suffering from this disease when you have your next blood drawn. Once you know what the cause is, you can take the active steps to combat this problem. Inflammation is a major problem but can be dealt with using high quality Omega 3 fish oil. Take that step to better health today.

Fatty Liver Disease: What You Need to Know

STEATOSIS

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