NONALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE

18/09/2020

Many people think nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the consequences of drinking a lot of alcohol. However, even people who drink little alcohol or do not drink alcohol can suffer from this disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, sometimes called NAFLD, is a condition in which fat builds up in the liver. The liver is a big organ in the upper right side of the belly.

There are two types of NAFLD:

Nonalcoholic fatty liver (also called NAFL)

In NAFL, the liver has fat buildup, but is not inflamed

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (also called NASH)

In NASH, the liver has fat buildup and is inflamed. People who drink too much alcohol can get a condition similar to NASH. But NASH is not related to drinking too much alcohol.

This article is mostly about NASH, because that is the condition might get worse over time and lead to "cirrhosis".

What causes NASH?

Doctors do not know what causes NASH. They do know that NASH happens more often in some people, such as those who:

Are overweight
Have diabetes, which causes blood sugar levels to get too high
Have high cholesterol
Take certain medicines

What are the symptoms of NASH?

Most people with NASH have no symptoms. Your doctor or nurse might suspect that you have NASH from the results of your routine blood tests.

Will you need more tests?

Yes. If your doctor or nurse suspects that you have NASH, you will likely have:

More blood tests
An imaging test of the liver, such as an ultrasound, CT, or MRI scan – Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body.

Some people need a liver biopsy. During this test, a doctor removes a small sample of tissue from the liver. Then another doctor looks at the sample under a microscope to see if NASH is present.

How is NASH treated?

NASH is not typically treated directly. But the condition can get better when other medical conditions that often happen with NASH get treated. With that in mind, your doctor can:

Help you lose weight, if you are overweight
Treat your high blood sugar, if you have high blood sugar
Treat your high cholesterol, if you have high cholesterol

If you take a medicine that could be causing NASH, your doctor will stop or change that medicine.
If you have a severe form of NASH but do not also have diabetes or heart disease, your doctor or nurse might suggest that you take vitamin E.

If you have any questions, please seek advice from your doctor for the best treatment support method!

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At American International Hospital (AIH), Gastroenterology - Hepatology Department offers a full range of testing, diagnosis and treatment services for gastrointestinal diseases.

A team of highly skilled and experienced gastroenterologists focuses on giving patients accurate diagnosis and right treatment as soon as possible on a case-by-case basis.
The gastrointestinal endoscopy room is well equipped with state-of-the-art facilities under American standards.

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For checkup and consultation at AIH:

☎️ Hotline: (028) 3910 9999

🌏 Website: www.aih.com.vn

📍 Address: 199 Nguyen Hoang street, An Phu Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh city