Fatty liver is an abnormal accumulation of certain fats (triglycerides) inside the liver cells.
There are two main types of fatty liver;
- Nonalcoholic Fatty Lver Disease (NAFLD).
- Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, also called Alcoholic Steatohepatitis.
What is Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)?
NAFLD is a type of fatty liver disease that is not related to heavy alcohol use, and it is the most common liver disorder worldwide, affecting approximately 25% of the world’s population.
There are two kinds:
,• Simple Fatty Liver; In which you have fat in your liver but little or no inflammation or liver cell damage. Simple fatty liver typically does not get bad enough to cause liver damage or complications.
• Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH); In which you have inflammation and liver cell damage, as well as fat in your liver. Inflammation and liver cell damage can cause fibrosis, or scarring, of the liver. NASH may lead to Cirrhosis or liver cancer.
What is Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is due to heavy alcohol consumption.
Alcoholic fatty liver disease only happens in people who are heavy drinkers, especially those who have been drinking for a long period of time. The risk is higher for heavy drinkers who are women, have obesity, or have certain genetic mutations.
Your liver breaks down most of the alcohol you drink, so it can be removed from your body. But the process of breaking it down can generate harmful substances. These substances can damage liver cells, promote inflammation, and weaken your body’s natural defenses. The more alcohol that you drink, the more you damage your liver. Alcoholic fatty liver disease is the earliest stage of alcohol-related liver disease. The next stages are alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Who is at risk of Fatty Liver Disease?
The cause of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is unknown. Researchers do know that it is more common in people who:
- Have Type 2 Diabetes and prediabetes.
- Have Obesity.
- Are middle aged or older (although children can also get it).
- Have high levels of fats in the blood, such as cholesterol and triglycerides.
- Have High Blood Pressure.
- Take certain drugs, such as corticosteroids and some cancer drugs.
- Have rapid weight loss or excess weight gain.
- Have been exposed to some toxins.
- Have certain metabolic disorders, including metabolic syndrome
(the combination of excess body weight, insulin
resistance, and high triglyceride level).
What are the Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease?
Both NAFLD and Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases are usually silent diseases with few or no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you may feel tired or have discomfort in the upper right side of your abdomen.
How is Fatty Liver Disease diagnosed?
Because there are often no symptoms, it is not easy to diagonise Fatty Liver Disease. Your doctor may suspect that you have it if you get abnormal results on liver tests that you had for other reasons or notice that your liver is slightly enlarged during a routine check-up. To make a diagnosis, your doctor may ask for more blood tests (including liver function tests), an ultrasound, a computed tomography (CT) scan or medical resonance imaging (an MRI) and also ask for your medical history.
What are some lifestyle changes that can help with Fatty Liver Disease?
If you have any of the types of Fatty Liver Diseases, there are some lifestyle changes that can help:
• Eat a healthy diet by eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limiting salt and sugar.
• Get vaccinations for Hepatitis A and B, flu and Pneumococcal disease. If you get Hepatitis A or B along with fatty liver, it is more likely to lead to liver failure.
• Get regular exercise, which can help you lose weight and reduce fat in the liver.
• Talk with your doctor or health care giver before using dietary supplements, such as vitamins, or any complementary or alternative medicines or medical practices. Some herbal remedies can damage your liver so you need a clearance from your health care giver before you use an herbal supplement or an homeopathic medicine.
Homeopathic Treatment of Fatty Liver.
Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the signs and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat fatty liver symptoms but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility.
Some of the most common homeopathic medicines for Fatty Liver are:
Chelidonium: Chelidonium is the top natural medicine for Fatty Liver treatment. The marked symptom for using this medicine is pain in right upper abdomen and pain under right shoulder. There may also be an enlargement of liver. The person is usually constipated. The stool passes in the form of hard balls. A distended abdomen with nausea and vomiting is also experienced. The patient suffers from excessive weakness. In case of jaundice in a patient with Fatty Liver too, Chelidonium is the best remedy. A hallmark symptom that adds weightage for selecting this medicine is a desire for very hot drinks and hot food.
Lycopodium: Lycopodium is a natural remedy of great help for treating Fatty Liver with gastric symptoms and acidity. The patient complains of distension or bloating of abdomen soon after eating anything. The abdomen feels full of gas. Burning belching is also experienced. Even eating a little causes fullness in the abdomen. The patient feels heaviness and pain in the right upper part of abdomen. A fatty liver accompanied by acidity can be treated with this type of homeopathic medication. In such cases, the patient will also complain of bloating and belching with a burning sensation. These symptoms tend to worsen in the evening and the patient may have an intense craving for sweets and hot drinks.
Phosphorus: Phosphorus is the best natural medicine for patients of Fatty Liver who feel as if the food is coming upwards after eating. This is accompanied by sour belching. Vomiting may also occur in a few cases, along with pain in liver. The stool and flatus are very offensive. The patient feels weak after passing stool. The craving for peculiar things in diet is an important indication for using this medicine in Fatty Liver Patients. These peculiar things include ice creams, cold drinks and refreshing items like juices.
Calcarea Carb: It is a very beneficial homeopathic medicine mainly for obese Fatty Liver Patients. The person is fatty, flabby with excess fat in liver and whole abdomen. This remedy successfully helps in burning excess fat in liver. The digestion is very slow in such persons with long-standing constipation. The abdomen always remains distended. A few constitutional symptoms that are taken note of is a desire for boiled eggs or strange things like chalk and pencils. Another is sensitivity to cold air and excessive sweating on the head.
Nux Vomica: Nux vomica is great for any abdominal problem including fatty liver disease caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. It is prescribed when pain in abdomen begins a few hours after eating, with a feeling of stone in abdomen. Sour or bitter belching accompanies the pain. A very significant symptom for selecting Nux Vomica for Fatty Liver is constipation with an ineffectual urge to pass stool or poop. The stool, however, is insufficient and unsatisfactory. The passing out of stool gives some relief from the pain in the abdomen but the urge to pass stool is renewed soon after. The patient craves for fattyfood, spicy food, coffee and alcoholic drinks in diet.
If you suffer from a Fatty Liver Disease consult an homeopath immediately who can diagnose it properly and treat you accordingly.
For individualized remedy selection and treatment, consult Homeopath Oluwafunmise on 08028366901 or 08183554665.
