How to treat the symptoms of fatty liver disease?

Written by Wo Cheng
Hepatology
Updated on November 13, 2024
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The treatment of fatty liver symptoms primarily requires distinguishing the type of fatty liver, which includes alcoholic fatty liver, nonalcoholic fatty liver (simple fatty liver), and steatohepatitis. For alcoholic fatty liver, the first step is to abstain from alcohol. Additionally, it is important to avoid high-fat and greasy foods in the diet. When alcoholic liver damage occurs, if the liver function is severely impaired, treatment with liver-protective, enzyme-lowering, and jaundice-reducing medications may be necessary. For nonalcoholic fatty liver, which is caused by being overweight or having a large waist circumference, treatment involves controlling weight and reducing waist size. Combined with appropriate physical exercise, reducing weight and waist size can help improve fatty liver. The diet should also limit high-fat, greasy, and high-sugar foods, focusing on light and easily digestible food, supplemented with an adequate amount of protein. For people with steatohepatitis, treatment usually involves intravenous infusions of liver-protective, enzyme-lowering, and jaundice-reducing medications.

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Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
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What are the symptoms of fatty liver? Is fatty liver serious?

If you have fatty liver disease, the symptoms are essentially the same as those of chronic hepatitis B and C, which include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, aversion to oily foods, and fatigue. Additionally, patients with fatty liver disease may experience a sensation of swelling and pain in the liver area. At this point, further liver function tests such as measuring transaminase and bilirubin levels can be conducted, and performing a hepatobiliary ultrasound can definitively diagnose the condition. If the fatty liver is due to obesity, it is advisable to strictly control food intake and engage in active and reasonable exercise for weight loss, as fatty liver can be reversed. However, if the fatty liver is due to long-term excessive alcohol consumption, it is recommended to strictly quit smoking and drinking, combined with reasonable exercise and diet control, as fatty liver can also be reversed.

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Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
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Is fatty liver serious?

Is fatty liver serious? There are many causes of fatty liver, including obesity, medications, alcohol consumption, toxins, and malnutrition, all of which can lead to fatty liver. Generally, mild fatty liver can be reversed through proper diet and exercise. However, reversing severe fatty liver can be very difficult and challenging. At this time, patients need to have enduring stamina and confidence to cure fatty liver. The main approach is to strictly control the diet with low salt and low fat, avoiding greasy foods. Additionally, appropriate exercise is very important for eliminating fatty liver. Treating fatty liver cannot rely solely on medications, as this addresses the symptoms but not the root cause. Exercise is essential.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
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Can fatty liver be cured?

Fatty liver is relatively common in clinical practice, often seen in obese patients or those who consume alcohol excessively. Fatty liver is also categorized as mild, moderate, or severe in clinical settings. Generally, mild fatty liver does not accompany liver function abnormalities. For such patients, the main approach involves appropriate weight loss, exercise, and dietary control. If there are indeed complications like cirrhosis or more severe liver disease, including abnormal liver functions, systematic diagnosis and treatment are recommended. Besides completing abdominal ultrasound and liver function tests, it is also suggested to conduct quantitative hepatitis B virus tests to eliminate the possibility of hepatitis B virus-induced steatosis. Generally, fatty liver can be treated successfully; however, if it is complicated by cirrhosis, the main principle of treatment is to prevent complications, and complete cure may not be possible. Therefore, regarding fatty liver, there is no need for excessive worry, but standard treatment should be followed. Particularly if the fatty liver is complicated by cirrhosis, active diagnosis and treatment are generally recommended.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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How to treat severe fatty liver?

The treatment of severe fatty liver is not significantly different from that of mild to moderate fatty liver in terms of medication. The main aspects of treating severe fatty liver include: Firstly, general treatment, which encompasses a healthy diet, appropriate exercise, weight control, and avoiding liver damage. Secondly, medication treatment: Due to large individual differences, there is no absolute, best, quickest, or most effective medication. Apart from using common over-the-counter drugs, it is important to select the appropriate medication based on individual circumstances. Additionally, surgical treatment options are available. For patients with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes, or for those with moderate cases but ineffective control of blood sugar through conservative treatment, weight loss surgery can be considered. Furthermore, combining treatment with traditional Chinese medicine and herbs can also yield excellent results for severe fatty liver.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
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fatty liver CT manifestations

Fatty liver, also known as hepatic steatosis, is a metabolic and functional abnormality of the liver that leads to abnormal deposition of fat in liver cells. Fatty liver typically presents characteristic features on a CT scan, generally starting with a decrease in density. The reference standard for decreased density is based on the spleen. Normally, the CT value of the liver is greater than that of the spleen. If the CT value of the liver is lower than that of the spleen, it can be diagnosed as fatty liver. Some focal fatty liver changes can also be diagnosed by CT, mainly manifested by a decrease in density in a particular lobe or segment of the liver, but the blood vessels can still be normally visualized.