Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) describes a range of conditions that have one thing in common – the build-up of fat in your liver. While the early stages of NAFLD don’t usually show many symptoms, red flag signs often crop up as the condition progresses. Therefore, noticing problems could mean it has become irreversible.
One of the red flag symptoms of this irreversible condition can be spotted in your skin and eyes – jaundice.
According to the NHS, jaundice describes the yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes.
This yellow tint is caused by the build-up of a yellow substance called bilirubin in your body.
Your liver uses bilirubin to make bile, a fluid that helps you digest food. A healthy liver is able to remove most of the bilirubin from your body.
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Fortunately, there are various lifestyle tweaks that can help manage the liver condition, ranging from a healthy diet to exercise.
The NHS advises aiming for a healthy weight and following a diet packed with fruits, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates, but low in fat, sugar and salt. Drinking water instead of sweet drinks could also help.
Other interventions such as exercise, quitting smoking and cutting down on alcohol could also be useful.
While NAFLD isn’t triggered by alcohol, drinking may make it worse so it’s advisable to cut down or stop drinking alcohol, the health service adds.
