One of the most dangerous consequences of excess body fat is fatty liver hepatosis. Symptoms and treatment of the disease are closely interconnected, since the severity of the manifestations of the disease determines not only the level of intensity of therapy, but also the possible outcome of the pathological process.
It is possible to stop fatty degeneration of the liver if a disease is detected in a timely manner, ensure its adequate treatment and exclude factors that impede the normal functioning of the organ.
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Causes of Fatty Liver Hepatosis
Fatty hepatosis is a type of disease caused by metabolic disorders in the liver cells. The development of hepatosis is accompanied by the accumulation of fat in the tissues of the organ and the gradual replacement of its cells (hepatocytes) with fat, which leads to tissue degeneration.
Among the main causes of the disease:
- diseases characterized by metabolic disorders - diabetes mellitus, endocrine system dysfunction, obesity;
- the effect of toxins due to the intake of alcohol (alcoholic steatosis), toxic products or medicines;
- unbalanced diet - lack of protein, starvation (including diets) or overeating;
- adrenal cortex dysfunction;
- hyperlipidemia - excess blood lipids and lipoproteins;
- chronic forms of gastrointestinal pathologies;
- viral infections (hepatitis);
- excess liver enzymes;
- genetic predisposition.
Usually, hepatocyte obesity occurs due to excessive amounts of fats entering the bloodstream. But there may be cases when hepatosis develops as a result of a violation of the function responsible for the removal of fats from the tissues of the organ. This happens if the body lacks biologically active substances that contribute to the processing of fats - for example, proteins.
Etiological types of hepatosis
In most cases, the accumulation of fat is the response of the liver to a toxic effect associated with the pathological condition of the body. The most common cause of toxic fatty liver infiltration is alcohol. If the disease is not associated with the use of toxic products and substances, it is classified as primary non-alcoholic steatosis.
Female gender and age after 45 years, combined with abdominal type obesity and a tendency to increase blood pressure, are regarded as factors contributing to the development of severe forms of hepatosis.
Symptoms and signs of the disease
Impaired liver health is rarely accompanied by severe symptoms. Often, patients for a long period of time do not know about their disease.
As a rule, fatty hepatosis is detected in two cases - when the disease progresses and the process is accompanied by pain in the right hypochondrium, or by accident, during an examination using ultrasound or CT.
The thing is that the manifestations of steatosis can be difficult to correlate with impaired liver function. Excess fat in the liver leads to a violation of its functionality, which inevitably affects the work of other organs and systems. Therefore, in most cases, the primary signs of fatty liver hepatosis are associated with pathological processes in other organs.
The development of fatty liver may indicate:
- bloating, heaviness in the stomach;
- excessive dryness of the skin;
- excessive greasy skin, a tendency to acne;
- falling out or graying hair;
- bleeding disorder;
- frequent lesions by viruses;
- disruptions in the menstrual cycle, infertility;
- the appearance of allergic reactions.
Discomfort and pulling pains in the right side - the main signs of liver and gall bladder dysfunction, are observed, as a rule, in the later stages of the development of pathology. Such symptoms occur as a result of a significant increase in liver size and are associated with overstretching of an organ capsule or congestion in the bile ducts.
Diagnostic measures
The doctor can already assume the presence of fatty hepatosis in the patient already at the stage of the history analysis. However, it is not possible to confirm the preliminary diagnosis using traditional laboratory tests even with a clear decrease in liver function.
The lack of specificity of clinical symptoms and low information content of biochemical studies do not allow to make the correct diagnostic conclusions about liver disease.
To obtain detailed information about the specificity of the disease, instrumental diagnostic methods are used.
The most informative diagnostic studies are:
- ultrasound. It allows to detect an increase in the size of the liver and to determine the ratio between healthy and affected areas, by comparing the level of their echogenicity;
- computed tomography allows you to get more information about the condition of the liver - the presence of sites with a low absorption coefficient is regarded as a sign of fatty infiltration;
- blood tests make it possible to determine the level of hormones produced by the thyroid gland, the increase in the number of liver enzymes and the presence of antibodies to hepatitis, as well as to establish markers of autoimmune damage. These indicators are considered indirect signs of hepatosis, since they indicate the presence of pathological processes in the tissues of the organ;
- liver biopsy - a method characterized by maximum accuracy of the results. Histological studies of biopsy samples allow us to draw conclusions about the presence and volume of body fat.
Static liver scintigraphy also brings a high level of information - a method of radionuclide scanning of an organ used to identify foci of fatty lesions.
As additional factors confirming the diagnosis of steatosis, the following are taken into account: causes of liver enlargement, elevated cholesterol, the fact of metabolic and glycemic levels, the presence of triglyceridemia, as well as data from serological studies and genetic tests.
Fatty hepatosis is diagnosed in the presence of five or more percent of fat in the total mass of the liver.
Fatty liver hepatosis: treatment
There are many reasons for the development of fatty hepatosis, so it is not easy for doctors to justify and systematize treatment correctly.
A key method of fatty infiltration is considered nutritional nutrition in combination with drug exposure.
The main therapeutic tasks in the treatment of fatty hepatosis are:
- complete elimination of the causes of fatty infiltration;
- normalization of the functional potential of hepatocytes.
The possibility of using alternative methods of treatment is not excluded, as additional means providing a regenerating and immunomodulating effect.
Drug therapy
The main method of conservative exposure is the drug treatment of hepatosis of the liver, which involves taking:
- lipotropic drugs that eliminate fatty infiltration - B vitamins, folic acid, essential phospholipids;
- hepatoprotectors that protect organ cells and contribute to the restoration or stabilization of their membranes;
- preparations of a group of statins that normalize fat metabolism at the cellular level.
Additional treatments include vitamin E, betaine, ursodeoxycholic acid and taurine. In the presence of alcoholism, a course of treatment with a narcologist is necessary.
Even with the complete elimination of the etiological factor, the patient must remain under the supervision of a doctor for a year.
Folk remedies
Methods of traditional medicine include the use of natural herbal remedies with the properties of purification and regeneration of liver cells.
Effective treatment with folk remedies is provided by the use of:
- shredded milk thistle fruit. The method of consumption of the plant is chosen at will - a teaspoon of fruit is brewed together with morning tea, or consumed in its natural form. Milk thistle helps the liver restore cells absorbed by adipose tissue and helps normalize the output of bile;
- pumpkins. Honey is added to the cavity of a small ripe pumpkin without seeds and insisted for two weeks in a dark, warm place. The resulting honey infusion is taken three times a day for a tablespoon;
- rose hips. Rosehips are brewed with boiling water and kept for 24 hours. For half a liter of water, take two tablespoons of fruit. Take twice a day for a cup of drink.
Among the popular non-traditional methods of treating hepatosis is the resorption of a tablespoon of vegetable oil for half an hour before eating. It is believed that this method relieves blood from toxins.
Many traditional healers recommend drinking green tea instead of black - the properties of the drink provide an intensive removal of toxins and toxins from the body. For optimal results, mint or lemon is added to green tea.
Diet for fatty hepatosis
Dietary nutrition is the basis for the treatment of fatty liver. Without compliance with dietary norms, a full recovery is impossible.
First of all, it is necessary to exclude alcohol and spirits from everyday food.Correction diet for fatty hepatosis involves the use of foods with an increased amount of protein, a small amount of animal fats, as well as foods rich in vitamins, trace elements and lipotropic substances.
Prohibited foods that provoke bloating, irritating the gastrointestinal mucosa or stimulating digestion.
It is recommended to give preference to steamed or boiled dishes - lean meat and fish, vegetables or cereals in milk. Accordingly, everything fried, spicy, smoked and salted is prohibited.
It is important that the interval between each meal is no more than three hours, and the portion size is moderate.
Possible complications
The work of the liver largely determines the functionality of all vital systems of the body.
Even minor hepatocyte dysfunctions can cause:
- violation of the digestive tract, then - stagnation of bile, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, dysbiosis, cirrhosis;
- decreased potential of the cardiovascular system. The lack of ascorbic acid, lecithin, quercetin and bioflavonoids is especially acute. As a result, hypertension, varicose veins, decreased vision and skin tone develop;
- hormone imbalance, which, combined with excess body fat, is one of the likely causes of oncology in women of forty years of age. Surgical intervention is unable to eliminate the cause of the pathological process;
- the fall of the immune system, which, combined with stagnation of bile and blood clotting, provides ideal conditions for the development of parasitic organisms.
With the elimination of the cause of fat accumulation in the liver, pathological processes completely stop.
Prevention
Fatty hepatosis is easy to treat, and, if we exclude the influence of adverse factors, the prognosis of the disease is relatively favorable. During the period of the illness, most patients remain able to work and the possibility of physical activity, which is not only not contraindicated, but also recommended.
It is possible to prevent the development of fatty liver infiltration if you not only abandon alcohol and toxin-containing products, but also maintain a normal weight, ensure a healthy balanced diet, and regularly undergo a full medical examination.
