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Cirrhosis And A Fatty Liver: How Are The Two Connected?

Cirrhosis is a disorder in which the tissue of the liver becomes scarred, resulting in the liver not functioning properly. A fatty liver is when fat builds up in the liver cells. Both conditions are types of liver disease.

Liver disease is a very broad term used to describe several different liver ailments. Liver disease can be the cause of excessive drinking, drug use, genetic defects and other lifestyle choices.

Liver disease is more common than one might think

In fatty liver disease, the fat in the liver typically does not cause any damage specifically, however, it may be a sign that there are other underlying conditions to be concerned about.

Having a fatty liver can lead to inflammation of the liver, which can cause scarring of the liver. This condition is called cirrhosis. Additionally, a fatty liver can cause your liver to harden. Extensive scarring due to cirrhosis can be a very serious condition.

Eating fatty foods is not what causes a fatty liver to develop. Your liver helps to metabolize and breakdown the food and liquid you consume. Experts understand that something goes wrong in the metabolism and breakdown by the liver and that this is how fatty liver develops, however, they are still unsure as to exactly why this happens. Because of this, it’s very difficult to prevent fatty liver from occurring.

There are a number of conditions, however, which are thought to contribute to the accumulation of fat in the liver. One of the most common conditions is thought to be obesity. Other diseases and conditions which are associated with a fatty liver are diabetes, high blood pressure and the excessive use of alcohol.

There are other contributing factors such as tuberculosis, malnutrition, intestinal bypass surgery for obesity, excessive amounts of Vitamin A and the use of certain drugs. Fatty liver may also occur as a complication of pregnancy.

Fatty liver is typically diagnosed during a routine examination because there are usually no symptoms which will be noticeable to the patient. Certain liver enzymes may show up as elevated in the blood and the liver may be slightly enlarged. Sometimes fatty liver is discovered the patient is being diagnosed for something different. An ultrasound of the abdomen may show fat in the liver. In some cases, your physician may recommend a liver biopsy in order to determine if there has been any damage done to the liver. A liver biopsy is when a small tissue sample from the liver is removed and is looked at and studied under a microscope.