Is Fatty Liver Disease the new Epidemic?

William James rightly said,” Is life worth living? It all depends on the liver.”

To begin with, let’s first understand the liver’s primary role and what leads to a liver disorder. The liver plays a vital role in removing toxins from the blood, regulating blood sugar levels and metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and promoting and maintaining overall health. Any damage to the organ affects this functioning and can have profound health implications.

Cases of liver disorders are growing exponentially in India. Approximately one-third of Indian individuals have fatty liver disease(FLD). The disorder is present in three to four out of every ten individuals. Being asymptomatic, it often goes unrecognized initially and is acknowledged only when the condition worsens, leading to chronic liver failure or a reduced life expectancy with fatty liver disease. Although the development of this disorder is relatively slow and progressive, it’s irreversible once the damage has begun to happen. Therefore, maintaining its health becomes extremely crucial.

Excessive build-up of fat hampers its functioning and causes a prevalent health condition called FATTY LIVER. It could be alcoholic fatty liver disease, also called alcoholic steatohepatitis, caused majorly due to alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse denotes drinking more than ten units per week for men and more than eight units per week for women over the course of eight years.

The other one is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, caused due to various conditions, like; obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, etc. NAFLD can progress into non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a more severe form of the condition associated with higher liver-related morbidity and mortality.

If left untreated, fatty liver can increase the chances of developing more severe illnesses, including cirrhosis (liver scarring) and liver cancer. Therefore, the condition must never be disregarded.

• Abdominal Pain:- The upper right side of the stomach feels full or obstructed when a person has fatty liver-related abdominal pain. The pain is more intense on the upper right side of the abdomen. The pain is generally a mild ache, although it can occasionally shoot across the entire abdominal area. Additionally, swelling can sometimes be detected in the patient.
• Nausea:- Typical symptoms include feeling sick, vomiting, and nausea. Due to occasional instances of loss of appetite as well as persistent abdominal pain, the patient frequently feels unwell. A person also feels uneasy when they are extremely weak and exhausted.
• Loss of appetite:- Another symptom that coexists with numerous other health issues and significantly contributes to the individual becoming weak is loss of appetite. As a result, the person loses significant weight, leading to more intense exhaustion. Therefore, paying attention to a sudden drop in hunger and weight loss is essential.
• Jaundice:- A medical condition known as jaundice results in yellowing of the skin and eyes. It occurs when the liver cannot process bilirubin, a waste product normally excreted in the bile. In FLD, jaundice may occur due to liver damage and inflammation.
• Fatigue and weakness:- The most prevalent signs and symptoms of FLD include weakness and fatigue. As the organ becomes damaged, it may not be able to perform its normal functions, leading to a feeling of exhaustion and weakness.

The most severe form of this disease, cirrhosis, can occur in people with fatty liver disease. Cirrhosis is defined as “liver scarring brought on by persistent, long-term damage to the organ.” Herein, scar tissue replaces healthy tissue and inhibits the organ’s functionality. Cirrhosis can potentially create such substantial damage that it renders the organ incapable of functioning, which is called liver failure.

The three most typical cirrhosis symptoms can appear on the skin. These consist of the following:

• Easy bruising
• Having irritated skin
• Having jaundice, or yellow skin

The typical lifestyle criteria include not exercising, unhealthy eating habits, eating too many fried or processed foods, sweets, and red meat. All of these lead to fatty liver and, over time, may potentially result in heart and neurovascular conditions. Currently, NAFLD causes such severe damage that it is the cause of one-third of adult transplants in India due to liver failure or cancer.

To be more specific, 25% of patients undergoing liver transplants have alcoholic fatty liver disease, and 35% have underlying NAFLD. Thus, FLD affects 60% of people who require transplants. Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, metabolic disorders, acute liver failure, and other conditions account for the remaining 40% of the transplants.

Due to the development of other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular or diabetes, patients with FLD have a reduced life expectancy with fatty liver disease of three to four years. However, if the condition is properly and frequently monitored, the chance of death may be reduced.

Homeopathic treatment aims to improve its functioning, reduce inflammation, and address the underlying causes of the condition. Naturally processed medicines are the core of homeopathic fatty liver disease treatment that works with no side effects. It works on maintaining the dietary routine while working on building a healthy lifestyle. Homeopathic solutions are known to be prepared out of herbs, minerals, and organic matter, making them entirely non-toxic and free from adverse effects. In addition, homeopathy uses a distinct diagnostic process to assign individuals to remedies and 0observes clinical patterns of signs and symptoms that differ from conventional medicine.

Bharat Homeopathy is rapidly becoming every patient’s go-to for FLD treatment. The specialized team of doctors led by Dr. Kanchan and Dr. Mahima has been able to diagnose and guide the patients according to their symptoms. The foundation stone laid down in the principle of providing a customized treatment according to the patient’s needs and symptoms is doing wonders in treating patients nationally and worldwide.