Fatty Liver

~ medical terms "steatosis"
~ the most common problems affect the liver is fatty liver- the accumulation of fat in liver cells.
~ healthy liver consists of 2%-5% fat.
~ fat storage in the liver cells starts with tiny droplets being deposited inside the cells themselves.
~ initially, only a few liver cells are affected by small droplet deposits but over time, the droplets become larger, eventually the size of the stored fatty droplets increases until they fill the liver cells completely.
~ as a result, the liver cells become enlarged, their internal structures destroyed and functions impaired.
~ these fatty cells also have a higher disposition to developing necrosis or "die" under even mildly toxic condition which normal healthy cells would be able to withstand.
~ factors cause fatty liver:-
(1) Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease :
- consume more than 60g of alcohol per day over a long period of time.
-fatty infiltration of liver cells or fatty livers are found in up to 90% at all alcohol abuse cases.
-no signs and symptoms which lead to many undiagnosed cases.
-if left to progress will develop into alcoholic hepatitis and in a worst, cirrhosis.
-liver cells will be swollen, inflamed and death of cells may occurs.
-in cirrhosis, normal liver tissue are replaced with scar tissues, a process which is irreversible and potentially life-threatening if allowed to continue.
-advanced cirrhosis with liver failure, liver transplantation is the only treatment option left.
(2) Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease:
-is the development of fatty liver in the absence of significant alcohol consumption.
-it is a spectrum of liver diseases ranging from simple steatosis or accumulation of fat in the liver cells to non-alcoholic steato hepatitis which can then progress to cirrhosis and lead to cancer of the liver.
-non-alcoholic steato hepatitis is more severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is differentiated from simple fatty liver by the presence of cell inflammation and damage.
-non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with clinical conditions found in the metabolic syndrome. (obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and abnormal levels of lipid )
-fatty changes in the liver cells make the cells more susceptible to toxin and impair the cells' regenerative capacity.

Stages of Liver Damage
(1)Fatty Liver:- deposits of fat cause liver enlargement.
(2)Liver fibrosis:- scar tissue forms, more liver cell injury occurs.
(3)Cirrhosis:- ( hardening of the liver ) excessive scarring of liver tissue causes hardening of the liver, the liver fails to perform properly.