{"id":1970,"date":"2018-07-12T07:15:05","date_gmt":"2018-07-12T07:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=1970"},"modified":"2021-03-17T17:32:29","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T17:32:29","slug":"8-possible-fatty-liver-causes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/8-possible-fatty-liver-causes\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Possible Fatty Liver Causes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Have you ever heard of a condition called fatty liver? It\u2019s a serious health condition of the liver that affects an estimated 80 to 100 million people across the United States \u2013 and it\u2019s affecting more and more people as time goes on while scientists are trying to figure out exactly why this is happening. Fatty liver is also known as steatohepatitis, and comes in several forms \u2013 one caused by alcohol abuse, and the other known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the more common of the two.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s vitally important to spot fatty liver if and when it happens \u2013 it\u2019s a condition that could be potentially fatal, and you might not even know you\u2019ve been walking around with it raging in your body. Here are 8 possible causes for a fatty liver \u2013 and what you can do about it if you suspect that you or someone you know might be suffering from one.<\/p>\n

1. Eating Overly Fried Foods<\/h3>\n

The name \u201cfatty liver\u201d might make you picture a grotesque, somewhat enlarged liver with pockets of grease and fat lodged right inside of it \u2013 and if that\u2019s the picture that you have in your head, then you are more or less correct. The condition known as fatty liver is just that: It\u2019s caused by the constant build-up of fat in the liver, which eventually builds up to astonishing amounts and manages to slow liver function down considerably.<\/p>\n

This is where the symptoms of fatty liver kick in and cause weight gain, high blood pressure, and inexplicable weight gain \u2013 or loss \u2013 that have no other potential causes. It all starts with your diet, and if you are consuming food that\u2019s high in the \u201cbad fats\u201d \u2013 like the greasy cheeseburger you know is bad for you as it stares at you from the plate \u2013 then you are putting yourself at risk of eventually developing fatty liver along with a range of other health conditions, including cholesterol and obesity<\/a>.\"\"<\/p>\n

2. Sugar in Your Diet<\/h3>\n

Your diet is an essential part of what keeps you healthy every day \u2013 or what makes you feel so sick and sluggish that you can\u2019t move from one point to the next. The fatty liver could be the culprit if you\u2019ve been noticing symptoms like weight gain, a stabbing pain in your sides \u2013 the location, more or less, of your liver \u2013 and already have problems with your heart, high blood pressure or cholesterol<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Your diet could be the cause behind the fatty liver, but you shouldn\u2019t think that the bad fats we\u2019ve already mentioned are the only thing that could cause your condition. Too much sugar in your diet could also be behind it: And we know from prior medical research that sugar has all kinds of health implications \u2013 especially if you\u2019re sensitive to sugar (i.e. a diabetic) or if you consume far too much of it. Too much sugar in your diet (to the point of being completely unhealthy!) is enough to put you on the road to fatty liver.<\/p>\n

\"\"3. Over Drinking<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve already spoken about a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that is caused by other factors \u2013 which can include pre-existing health conditions which your family might have a history of, or caused by a very unhealthy diet that is kept at for a very long time. But one of the other causes of fatty liver \u2013 and enough to classify it as its own type \u2013 is the one that\u2019s caused by long-term alcoholism: And it\u2019s known as Alcoholic fatty liver disease.<\/p>\n

In this case, the damage to the liver is not caused by fat, but instead by the constant assault of the alcohol<\/a> to the liver: The liver is meant to filter toxins from the body, and alcoholics will give the liver far too much to filter \u2013 and more than it can handle. This eventually leads to the degradation of the liver and can lead to fatty liver in itself. It\u2019s also considered to be fatal much sooner than non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.\"\"<\/p>\n

4. Underlying Cholesterol Issues<\/h3>\n

Cholesterol levels should be at optimal levels if you want to be healthy \u2013 and cholesterol that\u2019s too high is a sure way to get yourself to heart disease and into the hospital. Normal cholesterol levels should be at 200 mg per decilitre or lower, and high cholesterol is considered 239 mg\/dL or higher. What gives you cholesterol in the first place? The largest contributor to high cholesterol is a bad diet \u2013 one that contains too much of the bad fats we were talking about earlier.<\/p>\n

But cholesterol isn\u2019t always only your diet, it can also be caused by a pre-existing family history of the disease<\/a>: Dig into your family history to find out if anyone in your family has ever struggled. If you\u2019re not sure where your current cholesterol levels are at, then you can have them tested at your nearest pharmacy or drug store \u2013 usually for free. High cholesterol and fatty liver disease often go hand-in-hand.\"\"<\/p>\n

5. Heart Disease<\/h3>\n

Heart disease can go together with fatty liver. If your diet is unhealthy, then you are naturally prone to heart disease and cholesterol \u2013 but the same is also true if you have an existing family history of heart disease, and everyone should have their family\u2019s medical history checked out to make sure that they are not at risk. If you have heart disease combined with any of the other causes listed in this article, then you are at serious risk of developing a fatty liver \u2013 you might even be there already.<\/p>\n

The prevalence of heart disease can happen in both cases of alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: In the case of the first, the pressure which is put on the body by alcohol isn\u2019t limited to only affecting the liver, but will also eventually affect the kidneys<\/a>, the skin, the bladder, and the heart \u2013 leading to heart disease. Are you a high risk?\"\"<\/p>\n

6. Triglycerides<\/h3>\n

You might never have heard of triglycerides before \u2013 or it might have been something that you glossed over during health studies, or heard about in an article about diet health. Remember those bad fats we mentioned earlier? Basically, these are triglycerides<\/a>. They are a type of fat that is usually coursing through the blood. Why do they matter to your health?<\/p>\n

Triglycerides are what your body does with all of the fat, nutrients and calories that your body doesn\u2019t absorb: All the bad fats that your pizza or cheeseburger is dripping over with? That\u2019s exactly what you\u2019re putting into your bloodstream \u2013 and your bloodstream goes throughout the entire body, including organs like your heart and your liver. If it settles in your heart, welcome to an increased risk of cholesterol and heart disease. If it settles in your liver, then you\u2019re a high risk for developing liver disease instead. <\/p>\n

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7. High Blood Pressure<\/h3>\n

Normal blood pressure should measure at 120 over 80 \u2013 systolic over diastolic. A little bit of variation is normal throughout the day and there are several factors that might affect the measurement, including if you are overworked, tired or resting \u2013 and whether or not you have eaten anything. The type of soda you drink and the foods you eat will inevitably affect your blood pressure, and the same is true for the amount of stress<\/a> you are under.<\/p>\n

High blood pressure can also be a condition that you inherit from someone in your family, or it can be a condition that comes from an unhealthy lifestyle \u2013 some of the population are even diagnosed with high blood pressure at complete random. If you have high blood pressure with any combination of the symptoms that have been listed in this article, then it\u2019s likely that you\u2019re a high-risk case for fatty liver disease.\"\"<\/p>\n

8. Being Prediabetic<\/h3>\n

Diabetes<\/a> is a condition that can arise from your diet and your weight \u2013 or it can be a condition that is instead prompted by your genetic makeup and whether or not you are born as a high-risk due to anyone in your family being diabetic before you. This distinction is referred to as Type I and Type II Diabetes. This often goes hand-in-hand with a range of other conditions, some of which are high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, and heart disease.<\/p>\n

Many people don\u2019t realize that there\u2019s a condition existing before +diabetes that\u2019s called being pre-diabetic \u2013 and this means that you are at serious risk of developing diabetes, sometimes inevitably. In the early stages, the signs of diabetes start to manifest \u2013 and should warrant an immediate doctor\u2019s appointment. It puts you at risk of serious health conditions like heart disease, and you could also develop a fatty liver \u2013 that can be treated if spotted early on enough. <\/p>\n

\"\"9. Insulin Resistance<\/h3>\n

Prediabetes turns to type 1 or 2 diabetes when the pancreas<\/a> is no longer able to regulate blood sugar levels due to the constant influx of carbohydrates into the body. As a result, the pancreas loses its insulin resistance, disrupting the regular release of this hormone into the bloodstream when glucose levels rise. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s for this reason that people with diabetes need to take insulin shots. When the pancreas no longer supplies insulin due to its inability to detect rising blood sugar, exogenous sources of the hormone prevent the diabetic individual from falling into hypoglycaemic shock.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re prediabetic, there\u2019s a chance that you can recover your insulin sensitivity through adjustments to your diet and lifestyle. Cut carbohydrates from your diet and try eating a ketogenic meal plan, where all of your calories come from fat and protein sources, with trace amounts of carbs. Monitor your blood sugar, and you should begin to notice a significant drop in fasting blood glucose levels over the course of a few weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

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10. Medication<\/h3>\n

People who are suffering from fatty liver disease may develop the condition due to the effects on the liver from medications they are taking. Some drugs are particularly harsh on the liver. The liver converts many compounds found in modern drugs into secondary compounds that cure disease. However, this conversion process is incredibly taking on the organ and can lead to the accumulation of fatty deposits in the liver as it tries to protect itself from damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

People who are using extensive chronic medication protocols that include two or more drug therapies consumed every day should ensure they receive regular check-ups from their physician<\/a> to monitor the condition of their liver.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you visit a new doctor and they prescribe you medication, ask them about the toxicity effects on your liver. If you already have liver disease, your doctor will prescribe drugs that don\u2019t exacerbate the symptoms of your condition, preventing it from advancing into a critical stage.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

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11. Lack of Exercise<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Millions of Americans live a sedentary lifestyle void of physical activity, so it\u2019s not surprising to note that the population is experiencing an overall decline in health across the board. Poor diet choices and a lack of exercise take their toll on the body, leading to the development of health issues such as diabetes, heart, and liver disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exercise<\/a> helps to maintain cardiovascular function and improves metabolism, which boosts digestive health as well. A lack of activity is also responsible for the development of many other disorders and diseases in the body, including fatty liver disease. Eating junk food, taking prescription medications, and lying around all day is a recipe for disaster. <\/span><\/p>\n

If your doctor diagnoses you with fatty liver disease, they\u2019ll make recommendations such as cleaning up your diet, and regular exercise. While exercise alone won\u2019t help to relieve the symptoms of your condition, it enhances the other factors you can control, such as your diet. <\/span><\/p>\n

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12.\u00a0Risk Factors<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Non-alcoholic fatty disease carries a set of risk factors that affect a particular segment of the population more than others. If you notice that you fall into any of the following categories, it\u2019s best to make an appointment with your doctor so they can take your bloodwork and check on the status of your general health.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doctors use bloodwork to check for elevations in liver enzymes<\/a> present in the blood \u2013 the hallmark of fatty liver disease. Some of the risk factors for developing the condition include;<\/span><\/p>\n