The Cleveland Clinic says that generally if you have cirrhosis, you have a late-stage liver disease “and the damage that is already done is permanent”. Nonetheless, fatty liver disease research suggests that losing excess weight is the best thing you can do to control or reverse early stage fatty liver disease.
A healthy liver should contain little or no fat, though the NHS estimates up to one in every three people in the UK has early stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) , where there are small amounts of fat in their liver.
The condition comes in two main forms. NAFLD is the term for a range of conditions caused by a build-up of fat in the liver.
You can also get alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD), which is liver damage that is caused by drinking too much alcohol.
Although the condition is often marked by an absence of symptoms, there are certain signs to look out for.
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The Cleveland Clinic warns the symptoms of fatty liver disease often do not show until the disease progresses to cirrhosis of the liver.
The organisation says if you do have symptoms, they may include abdominal pain or a feeling of fullness in the upper right side of the abdomen.
It notes you may also experience nausea, loss of appetite or weight loss. Other people will develop jaundice, or a swollen abdomen and legs, have extreme tiredness or mental confusion and weakness.
People with a liver condition who develop dark black tarry faeces, or dark urine, should seek “urgent medical attention”, according to the British Liver Trust.
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The Cleveland Clinic says having a diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver doesn’t mean you have an immediately fatal condition.
“However, as cirrhosis continues, more scarring occurs and liver function continues to decline. Eventually, your failing liver may become a life-threatening condition.”
If you are a candidate for a liver transplant you will begin the process of being placed on a national liver transplant recipient list.
Stopping drinking can help improve alcohol-related liver disease, though a liver transplant may be needed if the damage to the liver is severe.
The NHS notes stopping drinking is not easy, especially as an estimated 70 percent of people with ARLD have an alcohol dependency problem.
Sadly, death rates linked to ARLD have risen considerably over the last few decades, according to the NHS.
Things like losing weight, eating healthily and regular exercise can help. Though NAFLD is not caused by alcohol, drinking may make it worse. Therefore, you may need to cut it out of your diet, or reduce your intake.
There’s not currently any medicine that can treat NAFLD, but various medicines can be useful in managing the problems associated with the condition.
