Fatty Liver Symptoms Women & Children

Fatty liver disease, otherwise known as hepatic steatosis, is the build-up of fatty tissue in a person’s liver cells. The process is a chronic reversible condition which is brought on by several different causes. Those suffering with fatty liver are quite often excessive alcohol drinkers or people who have been diagnosed with metabolic syndromes such as dyslipidaemia, diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

If you search for fatty liver symptoms, you will find alarming statistics relating to the illness such as the fact that fatty liver disease (FLD) effects anywhere between 10% and 24% of the population in the vast majority of countries worldwide. In the US alone, approximately one quarter of African-Americans, one third of European-Americans and just under half of all Hispanic-Americans will develop the disease at some point.

Women

Fatty liver symptoms in women can vary a great deal. If you are in the early stages of the disease, there may be very few hints to suggest that something is wrong. Your symptoms will also depend on how much damage has actually been caused by the disease. Some women become more affected than others as each body reacts differently to the disease.

As you progress through ceratin stages of the illness, your liver may become inflamed and slightly more enlarged, which any doctor would be able to recognise when examining you. There is no clear factor to determine exactly who will develop fatty liver, but as mentioned, heavy drinkers or overweight people are more likely to develop the disease.

Children

Over the past decade, the percentage of fatty liver symptoms in children has increased dramatically. This is usually referred to as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and can be directly attributed to a child’s obesity. Deposits of fat tend to cause the liver to expand which (over time) leads to scar tissue forming. When this happens, more damage is caused to the liver cells. The liver becomes more firm and is therefore unable to work properly. The alarming rate at which young children are starting to develop this disease is very worrying indeed.

The worst case scenario is that the damage can ultimately lead to total liver failure. There are currently initiatives to make children and parents more aware of the disease, advising them what steps must be taken in order to combat the disease. The main point that organisations are trying to get across is to encourage healthy diets from a younger age.

Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Reducing alcohol toxicity levels in the body is one way of reducing the severity of fatty liver. Once you have identified your fatty liver symptoms – cause and treatments can then be used to try and combat the disease.

If you are suffering from diabetes, one way to improve the condition of your liver is by trying to maintain more control over your blood sugar levels. People can reduce their chances of contracting the disease by cutting down on alcohol intake and by eliminating unhealthy foods in their diet. These are the major factors that contribute to the disease. The sad thing is that in most cases, this premature health issue could actually have been avoided. Depending on which stage of the disease you may be in, treatments may or may not be effective.

You may have had been suffering for a long time (like many patients) but were blissfully unaware. The disease can slowly but progressively build-up over time often leading to irreversible damage. Action needs to be taken early before the disease can take a hold. The action that can be taken simply means leading a healthier lifestyle.