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However, studies have shown that both fat, inflammation and scar tissue can leave your liver. The doctor may order an ultrasound(a painless, non-invasive imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound) sound to look at the structure of the liver. In addition, the doctor may order a transient elastography , alcoholic liver disease which measures ultrasound waves through the liver to predict liver stiffness/scarring and the amount of liver fat. NAFLD is one of the most common causes of liver disease and affects approximately 10 percent of cases. The condition is most common in Hispanic children, followed by children who are Caucasian.
NASH is the form of NAFLD in which you have inflammation of the liver and liver damage, in addition to fat in your liver. The inflammation and liver damage of NASH can cause fibrosis, or scarring, of the liver. NASH may lead to cirrhosis, in which the liver is scarred and permanently damaged. Outside medical treatment, patient education is the key to treatment for patients with alcoholic liver disease.
What Is Fatty Liver Disease?
Compared with a normal liver , a fatty liver appears enlarged and discolored. Tissue samples reveal fat deposits in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, while inflammation and advanced scarring are visible in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Both alcoholic fatty liver disease and one type of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease 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. However, since most people affected by NAFLD are likely to be asymptomatic, liver biopsy presents too high a risk for routine diagnosis, so other methods are preferred, such as liver ultrasonography or liver MRI.
- While there is no standard treatment for patients with NAFLD, lifestyle changes have been shown to affect its progression.
- Cirrhosis is the final phase of alcoholic liver disease; at this stage the liver damage is unfortunately irreversible.
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a condition of the liver that is characterized by fat accumulation in the liver, occurring in individuals who consume little or no alcohol .
- The EASL suggests using fibrosis tests such as elastography, acoustic radiation force impulse imaging, and serum biomarkers to reduce the number of biopsies.
- The more scarring your liver has, the worse it functions.
- NAFLD is the leading cause of chronic liver disease and the second most common reason for liver transplantation in the US and Europe as of 2017.
Sometimes injecting dye into a vein is used to produce images of body parts. The dye helps show the liver and other organs in the abdomen .
Association Between NAFLD and Metabolic Syndrome
Several factors, such as obesity and diabetes, can increase your risk. NASH is a progressive form of NAFLD where inflammation causes liver damage and scarring . Fibrosis can get worse over time and lead to extensive scarring of the liver .
Improving liver fat and inflammation is possible when people lose weight and/or modify their lifestyle. When your liver is at risk, you can spit spider veins on your face. This is a sign that only severe liver damage https://ecosoberhouse.com/ patients can spot. Because obesity is a significant risk factor for many conditions, including NAFLD, Boston Children’s offers five hospital-based programs to help children and their families manage their weight.