Alcoholic liver cirrhosis
What is fatty liver disease?Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps your body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons. Fatty liver disease is a condition in which fat builds up in your liver. There are two main types:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)Alcoholic fatty liver disease, also called alcoholic steatohepatitisWhat is nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)?NAFLD is a type of fatty liver disease that is not related to heavy alcohol use. There are two kinds:Simple fatty liver, in which you have fat in your liver but little or no inflammation or liver cell damage. Simple fatty liver typically does not get bad enough to cause liver damage or complications.Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), in which you have inflammation and liver cell damage, as well as fat in your liver. Inflammation and liver cell damage can cause fibrosis, or scarring, of the liver. NASH may lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer.What is alcoholic fatty liver disease?Alcoholic fatty liver disease is due to heavy alcohol use. Your liver breaks down most of the alcohol you drink, so it can be removed from your body. But the process of breaking it down can generate harmful substances. These substances can damage liver cells, promote inflammation, and weaken your body's natural defenses. The more alcohol that you drink, the more you damage your liver. Alcoholic fatty liver disease is the earliest stage of alcohol-related liver disease. The next stages are alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.Who is at risk for fatty liver disease?Researchers do not know the cause of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD). They do know that it is more common in people whoHave type 2 diabetes and prediabetesHave obesityAre middle aged or older (although children can also get it)Are Hispanic, followed by non-Hispanic whites. It is less common in African Americans.Have high levels of fats in the blood, such as cholesterol and triglyceridesHave high blood pressureTake certain drugs, such as corticosteroids and some cancer drugsHave certain metabolic disorders, including metabolic syndromeHave rapid weight lossHave certain infections, such as hepatitis CHave been exposed to some toxinsNAFLD affects about 25 percent of people in the world. As the rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol are rising in the United States, so is the rate of NAFLD. NAFLD is the most common chronic liver disorder in the United States.Alcoholic fatty liver disease only happens in people who are heavy drinkers, especially those who have been drinking for a long period of time. The risk is higher for heavy drinkers who are women, have obesity, or have certain genetic mutations.What are the symptoms of fatty liver disease?Both NAFLD and alcoholic fatty liver disease are usually silent diseases with few or no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you may feel tired or have discomfort in the upper right side of your abdomen.How is fatty liver disease diagnosed?Because there are often no symptoms, it is not easy to find fatty liver disease. Your doctor may suspect that you have it if you get abnormal results on liver tests that you had for other reasons. To make a diagnosis, your doctor will useYour medical historyA physical examVarious tests, including blood and imaging tests, and sometimes a biopsyAs part of the medical history, your doctor will ask about your alcohol use, to find out whether fat in your liver is a sign of alcoholic fatty liver disease or nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD). He or she will also ask which medicines you take, to try to determine whether a medicine is causing your NAFLD.During the physical exam, your doctor will examine your body and check your weight and height. Your doctor will look for signs of fatty liver disease, such asAn enlarged liverSigns of cirrhosis, such as jaundice, a condition that causes your skin and whites of your eyes to turn yellowYou will likely have blood tests, including liver function tests and blood count tests. In some cases you may also have imaging tests, like those that check for fat in the liver and the stiffness of your liver. Liver stiffness can mean fibrosis, which is scarring of the liver. In some cases you may also need a liver biopsy to confirm the diagnosis, and to check how bad the liver damage is.What are the treatments for fatty liver disease?Doctors recommend weight loss for nonalcoholic fatty liver. Weight loss can reduce fat in the liver, inflammation, and fibrosis. If your doctor thinks that a certain medicine is the cause of your NAFLD, you should stop taking that medicine. But check with your doctor before stopping the medicine. You may need to get off the medicine gradually, and you might need to switch to another medicine instead.There are no medicines that have been approved to treat NAFLD. Studies are investigating whether a certain diabetes medicine or Vitamin E can help, but more studies are needed.The most important part of treating alcohol-related fatty liver disease is to stop drinking alcohol. If you need help doing that, you may want to see a therapist or participate in an alcohol recovery program. There are also medicines that can help, either by reducing your cravings or making you feel sick if you drink alcohol.Both alcoholic fatty liver disease and one type of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) can lead to cirrhosis. Doctors can treat the health problems caused by cirrhosis with medicines, operations, and other medical procedures. If the cirrhosis leads to liver failure, you may need a liver transplant.What are some lifestyle changes that can help with fatty liver disease?If you have any of the types of fatty liver disease, there are some lifestyle changes that can help:Eat a healthy diet, limiting salt and sugar, plus eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grainsGet vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, the flu and pneumococcal disease. If you get hepatitis A or B along with fatty liver, it is more likely to lead to liver failure. People with chronic liver disease are more likely to get infections, so the other two vaccinations are also important.Get regular exercise, which can help you lose weight and reduce fat in the liverTalk with your doctor before using dietary supplements, such as vitamins, or any complementary or alternative medicines or medical practices. Some herbal remedies can damage your liver.
Disease Alternative Name
Recent Cases of Alcoholic liver cirrhosis
Browse recently discussed Alcoholic liver cirrhosis cases by specialistsTop Cases of Alcoholic liver cirrhosis
Selected by editors, top cases are known for unique problem or best solutionTop Alcoholic liver cirrhosis Doctors on Curofy
Top doctors who continously share their opinions on Alcoholic liver cirrhosisDr KUTE HOSPITAL
Dr KUTE HOSPITAL
Govt. Medical College Miraj
D M &S
Mira Nursing Home
Consultant Trauma, Gi, Colorectal, Laparoscopic and General Surgeon
The Health City Hospital
Intensivist
Maharashtra University of Health Sciences Nashik
bhms
F H Medical College
MBBS
Trending Cases
Pharma standards body Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has issued an alert over some commonly used medicines as they trigger adverse reactions. Commonly-used painkiller "Nimesulide" & antibiotic "Cefuroxime" can lead to serious skin disorders. In your practice and observation, have you noticed any such adverse reactions in patients in recent times?
Doc Insights3 Likes17 Answers- Login to View the image
Epididymal cysts are fluid filled sacs that develop in the Epididymis. They occur for a number of reasons but are always benign and generally cause mild discomfort only. Dr. Vivek Jha is sharing a clinical case of "Epididymal cyst" managed with surgical expertise by him. Share your views on the case & learn new things.
Expert Insights4 Likes9 Answers - Login to View the image
Dear doctor friends, Kindly suggest Rx. Female /55 years Diabetic Suffering from GANGRENE RIGHT FOOT *Chief Complaints* Swelling over right foot Bleeding from wound No pus Wound Not getting good *History* Diabetic type 2 *Vitals* PPS 180 BP 120/84 *Physical Examination* Deep bleeding wound but no pus *Investigations* The sonography report is attached *Diagnosis* Gangrene right feet, skin so thickened *Management* Regular dressing, controlled blood sugar, strictly following diet control
Chetna Vora1 Like4 Answers - Login to View the image
Secondary hypertension often affects younger patients & those with resistant or refractory hypertension. Identifying the underlying cause of secondary hypertension may lead to successful intervention with the potential to improve quality of life & reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Dr. Sanjay Jain is sharing a clinical case of “Secondary Hypertension - Pheochromocytoma management”. Share your views on the case.
Dr. Sanjay N Jain0 Like4 Answers - Login to View the image
Pneumothorax is air around or outside the lung. It may result from chest trauma, excess pressure on the lungs or a lung disease, such as COPD, cystic fibrosis, TB, Asthma etc. Correct interpretation of chest X-ray in this clinical setting & knowledge of when to request more complex imaging techniques are essential. In this learning series, we discuss the role of the chest X-Ray in the assessment of pneumothorax along with the value of CT scan. Learn & update your basic radiological approach for “Pneumothorax” & interpretation knowledge & patient care approach with this post.
Radiology Essential0 Like3 Answers
101 Views
, 3 Likes
, 7 Answers