Re: Fatty liver

Posted By HFHSM.D.-rf on July 19, 1998 at 19:05:37:

In Reply to: Re: Fatty liver posted by JP on July 19, 1998 at 07:36:43:







: Linda, I have suffered from the very same problem now for years.
Same as you  --  Female non-drinker non-diabetic and need to lose weight.  
A CT scan confirmed fatty infiltration of the liver.  
But I had originally been told that fatty liver "doesn't cause pain" and
chased around a lot of doctors trying to find then, just what WAS causing
the pain.  
But a fatty liver can definitely cause pain, and for me, it DOES.  
When I lose weight, the discomfort subsides.  When I gain weight, the
discomfort increases.  
I too would like to know  --  
What caused the fatty infiltrates? I don't drink alcohol and I
am not diabetic.
And why do I have it and people who are more over-weight than me don't?
What I understand is that losing weight will relieve the pain/discomfort
and eliminate the condition (assuming one keeps their weight down).  
I had been told by MANY physicians that a fatty liver is basically
a "benign" condition, and that I should simply lose weight to relieve
the discomfort.  I am now, however, somewhat alarmed at some of the
articles I have just been reading in regard to potential permanent
damage to the liver due to the condition.  I'd like to know more about
that issue.  And tomorrow I am going to begin that work-out program.
_


Dear JP,
Your email raises an interesting issue.  In general, fatty liver is an asymptomatic condition.  Why do some people develop pain?  The answer is not known with certainty.  We believe that the pain is related to stretching of the liver capsule by the enlarged liver.  We do not know why some people will have pain whereas others with the same degree of distention are asymptomatic.
You do not know whether other overweight people have fatty liver.  Most lver diseases do not produce clinically evident symptoms.
You are correct that there have been reports of liver scarring due to fatty liver but this appears to be an uncommon outcome.  In my opinin you are taking the correct approach by dieting and exercising.
This information is presented for educational purposes only.  Always consult your personal physician for specific medical questions.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: fatty liver
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