How to treat the symptoms of fatty liver disease?

Written by Wo Cheng
Hepatology
Updated on November 13, 2024
00:00
00:00

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.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
56sec home-news-image

How long does it take to recover from fatty liver with exercise?

Fatty liver is a reversible disease that can gradually improve with proactive treatment, dietary adjustments, and appropriate exercise, although the duration of exercise varies from person to person. For mild fatty liver, the treatment period is short. In cases of severe fatty liver, exercise therapy must be complemented with medications, which extends the time required. Currently, there are no specific drugs that completely cure fatty liver. The main treatments involve protecting liver cells, reducing lipid levels, and using antioxidants. It is important to adjust the diet promptly, reduce the intake of greasy food, especially animal fats, and increase outdoor activities such as jogging and playing badminton. Maintaining a positive mindset also helps in recovery. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
1min 27sec home-news-image

How should fatty liver be managed in children?

The formation of fatty liver is mainly due to overeating foods that are greasy, overly sweet, or have a high fat content. This leads to a significant increase in fat content in the blood, which accumulates in the liver. Severe fatty liver can progress to cirrhosis, so it is important to intervene promptly. The intervention generally involves dietary management; specifically, children should avoid eating overly greasy foods, as well as high-calorie items like sugars, chocolates, candies, which are better consumed in moderation or not at all. Additionally, increasing physical exercise, which refers to managing and reducing weight, is recommended. Depending on their personal circumstances, children should appropriately increase their amount of physical activity, as more exercise also accelerates the metabolism of fat in the body. It is advised for individuals with fatty liver to undergo a detailed examination at a hospital, and for doctors to determine whether medical intervention is necessary based on the specific conditions of the child. If it is only a mild to moderate case of fatty liver, doctors will likely suggest diet modification or physical exercise to help reduce it.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
45sec home-news-image

What should be noted for mild fatty liver?

People with mild fatty liver also need to pay special attention to their diet. It is important to consume a light diet and avoid high-calorie and high-fat foods such as fatty meats, fried foods, and animal organs; these should be minimized in the diet and replaced with more fruits and vegetables. Additionally, it is recommended to increase physical activity, as exercise can metabolize fats and has a certain therapeutic effect on patients with fatty liver. Simultaneously, alcohol should be avoided, as it can damage liver cells. If a patient with fatty liver frequently consumes alcohol, it can exacerbate the condition and may also lead to elevated liver enzymes.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wo Cheng
Hepatology
1min home-news-image

Can people with fatty liver smoke?

Patients with fatty liver disease should also appropriately quit smoking or reduce the frequency of smoking. The treatment for severe fatty liver disease mainly includes a reasonable diet, appropriate exercise, as well as choosing to quit smoking and drinking, controlling diet properly, increasing physical exercise, removing the cause of the disease, and actively treating the primary disease. Although smoking mainly causes damage to the lungs, nicotine in cigarettes can also damage liver cells. When people with fatty liver disease smoke excessively, it can exacerbate the condition. It also damages liver cells, so people with fatty liver disease also need to quit smoking or reduce the frequency of smoking. People with fatty liver disease should regularly monitor liver function and undergo imaging tests of the liver to timely monitor the condition and actively enhance physical exercise to control the cause of the disease.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
41sec home-news-image

How to improve diet for fatty liver

Patients with fatty liver should pay attention to a reasonable diet, ensuring three meals are balanced, both coarse and refined, eating more vegetables and fruits as well as whole grains, and eating less greasy and spicy foods, especially avoiding the intake of animal fats, and strictly abstaining from smoking and drinking. While adjusting the diet, it is important to engage in appropriate physical activities, such as jogging, playing table tennis, and practicing Tai Chi, to enhance the consumption of fat in the body. Be cautious when using medication to avoid liver-toxic drugs, maintain a positive attitude, and try not to get angry. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)