Liver Disease: Expert discusses risks and symptoms
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You don’t need to drink to cause damage to your liver or develop fatty liver disease.
Even if you’re teetotal you can develop a condition known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD for short.
This condition is caused by the build up of fat in the cells of your liver
It’s very common and most people only have a mild form.
It’s still useful to know the symptoms so that you can identify and treat it.
The health provider BUPA lists two main symptoms of the condition.
The first is feeling unwell and very tired.
The second is pain or discomfort on the right side of your abdomen, just under your ribs.
Once you’ve been diagnosed with NAFLD you’re in a slightly strange, albeit irritating, position.
Bupa says that, at the moment, “there aren’t any specific treatments yet for NAFLD”.
This doesn’t mean there’s nothing you or your doctor can do for you, it just means there aren’t any medicines designed specifically for NAFLD.
The first of these is to change your diet to one with wholegrain carbohydrates such as bread, rice and pasta which are high in fibre.
Try exercising more to lose any excess weight and reduce fat levels in your body.
There are medicinal treatments too.
Your doctor might prescribe you with medication to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels if these are issues.
For the first year after your diagnosis, a monitoring process will begin to assess your health and how your NAFLD changes.
Just as there is no specific treatment for NAFLD, so are there no identifiable causes as to why the fat builds up in your liver.
However, there are several factors that will increase your risk of developing the condition, including if you have:
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High levels of fat in your blood
• Extra weight around your middle
• Other people in your family have NAFLD.
If you are worried about any symptoms of this or any other condition, always consult with your GP.
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