As the name suggests, fatty liver disease is caused by a build-up of fat in the liver. Unlike alcoholic-related liver disease it has nothing to do with drinking too much alcohol.
If your liver is healthy it should contain little or no fat. However, it is thought one in three people in the UK are now living with the early stages of fatty liver disease.
This is due to rising rates of people who are overweight or obese.
In its early stages fatty liver disease often doesn’t cause any issues. But if it progresses it can lead to serious liver damage and even liver failure.
Therefore, spotting signs of the condition could be potentially life saving and should be investigated if you have concerns.
One symptom in particular could be easy to miss – especially around the holiday season.
According to the NHS, fatty liver disease can cause a “dull, aching” pain in the tummy.
This could be dismissed as something less serious such as a stomach ache or indigestion caused by eating too much.
However, to know if this is linked to the liver the pain will be located on the right side of the abdomen, “over the lower right side of the ribs”.
This might be accompanied by other symptoms such as:
If you are experiencing these signs you might have reached non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or fibrosis, which are more advanced stages of fatty liver disease.
But the most severe and final stage of liver disease is cirrhosis.
This occurs after years of damage where the liver becomes scarred, lumpy and shrivelled.
NHS Inform explains: “There are usually few symptoms during the early stages of cirrhosis.
“Noticeable problems tend to develop as the liver becomes more damaged.
“In early stage cirrhosis, the liver is able to function properly despite being damaged.
“As the condition progresses, symptoms tend to develop when functions of the liver are affected.”
A common sign of cirrhosis that many people think of is jaundice, where the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow.
However, there are many other symptoms including:
- Tiredness and weakness
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss and muscle wasting
- Feeling sick (nausea) and vomiting
- Tenderness or pain around the liver area
- Tiny red lines (blood capillaries) on the skin above waist level
- Very itchy skin
- A tendency to bleed and bruise more easily, such as frequent nosebleeds or bleeding gums
- Hair loss
- Fever and shivering attacks
- Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet due to a build-up of fluid (oedema)
- Swelling in your abdomen (tummy), due to a build-up of fluid known as ascites (severe cases can make you look heavily pregnant).
“You may also notice changes in your personality, problems sleeping (insomnia), memory loss, confusion and difficulty concentrating,” NHS Inform adds.
If you experience any symptoms of fatty liver disease you should speak to your doctor.