In this modern day and age, when our lifestyle and eating habits have considerably changed, we can see an equal amount of increase in health concerns among people. One such concern that is prevalent among a large portion of the global population is fatty liver disease.
As the name suggests, the accumulation of excessive fat in the liver is called fatty liver disease and the grade 3 of this disease is the most advanced stage that requires immediate attention.
This blog will walk you through the symptoms, causes and the strategies for managing fatty liver disease.
Fatty Liver Disease – An Introduction
According to the amount of fat that is built-up in the liver, fatty liver disease is categorized into three grades. If a person’s liver contains a percentage of fat greater than 66%, then this condition is termed as fatty liver grade 3.
This stage causes severe inflammation in the person and a potentiality to get liver cirrhosis. If not treated properly, this also has the ability to reduce the life expectancy of the person to 1 year.
Have a look at grade 1 fatty liver.
What Causes Fatty Liver Disease?
There are many reasons why anyone can get affected by this monstrous disease, the main one being obesity and unhealthy eating habits among others. Let’s look at some of these causes.
- Obesity: Obesity is the term given to the condition of excessive body weight. The accumulation of visceral fat around the abdomen is one of the major causes of fatty liver disease.
- The Resistance of Insulin: If a person is already caught in the clutches of type 2 diabetes, there are high chances that he/she will get affected by fatty liver disease. Because type 2 diabetes causes the body to be little responsive to insulin which makes the liver to secret more glucose and excess fat eventually.
- Unhealthy Diet plan: It is a very commonly known fact that an unhealthy diet plan can lead us to many diseases and of course fatty liver grade 3 one of them. If your food contains an excessive amount of saturated fats and refined sugar, then no doubt these are contributing to the fat accumulation that is taking place in your liver.
- Genetics: Genes – they play a major role in how we look and what our body condition is like. These can either do good to us or severely damage our life. According to studies, these conditions can also be passed down generations after generations and so if your ancestors were a prey to this disease, there are high chances that you may also get this. And the environment that you live in and your lifestyle can contribute either to the development or the suppression of these genes.
You can also look at fatty liver grade 2.
Symptoms of the Fatty Liver
When the symptoms to identify the Grade 1 fatty liver are very less likely, they become more prominent in the grade 3 due to the progression of the disease. The common symptoms are:
- Fatigue: If you are constantly feeling a sense of fatigue, it is highly advisable to go and consult a doctor. Persistently feeling weak and tired are one of the early shown symptoms of the fatty liver grade 3 stage.
- Jaundice: Jaundice is the condition of yellowing of your eyes and skin. This is an indication that your liver is not functioning properly.
- Abdominal pain: You may experience a severe pain in the upper right side of your abdomen if your liver is not in a good condition. The pain or discomfort in this region is a pointer towards the inflammation and enlargement of the liver.
- Edema: Edema is the condition of swelling which is caused by the retention of too much fluid in the tissues of the body. And swelling in the abdomen and legs may be due to the dysfunction of the liver as it becomes incapable to regulate fluid balance.
You should also know – How to improve liver health
How to prevent or manage the fatty liver grade 3 disease?
- Healthy diet: The main advice that doctors give for anyone to prevent getting infected by fatty liver is to adopt a healthy diet plan. Add a lot of fruits, vegetables and whole grains which are rich in protein into your diet. However, try to avoid anything that contains refined sugar and fat.
- Exercise Regularly: Keeping up a routine that includes physical activities is an excellent way to keep yourself away from the accumulation of fat in your liver. This will help you manage your weight as well as to improve the insulin sensitivity.
- Staying away from Alcohol: Alcohol consumption can also lead to the progression of the disease. Thus, if you are already in the grade 3 phase, it is better to completely avoid alcohol consumption as it can worsen the already bad condition.
- Medication: The only best thing that you can do after trying or along with trying the other methods is to take the medications that are prescribed by the doctors. Avoid self-medication at any cost. If the condition is worse and under the suggestion of doctors, you can undergo a liver transplant surgery. Studies say that there are patients who have lived 5 years past the surgery. However, there are also cases where the patient’s body has rejected the transplant. So, whatever is decided, it should be done under the doctor’s suggestion.
Also read about – 14 signs liver damage
Conclusion
Fatty liver Grade 3 is a condition that requires you to drastically change your lifestyle.
However, understanding the cause of this disease and recognizing the symptoms in a very early stage can help you to reduce the intensity of the disease and to manage the existing condition, thus preventing any further complications.
It is best to consult a doctor and follow his/her instructions as it will do you nothing but good.
Consider reading –
- Signs your liver is healing
- How to clean lungs
- Liver tonic
- Bd meaning in prescription
- Bdpc meaning in prescription
