{"id":1619,"date":"2020-06-15T10:47:45","date_gmt":"2020-06-15T10:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blog.kayawell.com\/?p=1619"},"modified":"2025-10-07T06:25:59","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T06:25:59","slug":"nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease-nafld-symptoms-causes-and-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease-nafld-symptoms-causes-and-prevention","title":{"rendered":"Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) &#8211; Symptoms, Causes and Prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a\nparagliding term for a variety of liver conditions that affect people who drink\nlittle to no alcohol. As the name suggests, NAFLD has too much fat contained in\nthe liver cells as its key characteristic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is\nalso known as fatty liver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NAFLD is becoming more common around the\nworld, particularly in western nations. In the United States, it is the most\ncommon form of chronic liver disease, affecting about one-quarter of the population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people with NAFLD may develop\nnon-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an aggressive form of fatty liver disease\nthat is marked by hepatic inflammation and may progress to advanced scarring\n(cirrhosis) and liver failure. This damage is similar to that from heavy\nalcohol use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\r\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\r\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\r\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\r\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease-nafld-symptoms-causes-and-prevention\/#Symptoms\" title=\"Symptoms\">Symptoms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease-nafld-symptoms-causes-and-prevention\/#Causes\" title=\"Causes\">Causes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease-nafld-symptoms-causes-and-prevention\/#Risk_factors_for_NAFD\" title=\"Risk factors for NAFD\">Risk factors for NAFD<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease-nafld-symptoms-causes-and-prevention\/#Complication\" title=\"Complication\">Complication<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease-nafld-symptoms-causes-and-prevention\/#Prevention\" title=\"Prevention\">Prevention<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Symptoms\"><\/span>Symptoms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There aren&#8217;t noticeable symptoms in many\nNAFLD cases. When symptoms occur they usually include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pain in the right upper section of the abdomen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fatigue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enlarged liver or spleen (usually observed by a doctor during an<br>exam)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ascites, or swelling in the belly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yellowing of skin and eyes, or jaundice<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If NAFLD progresses to cirrhosis, symptoms\nmay include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mental confusion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Internal bleeding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fluid retention<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Loss of healthy liver function<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Causes\"><\/span>Causes <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>NAFLD (fatty liver) develops when your body\nproduces too much fat or doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t metabolize fat efficiently enough. The excess\nfat is stored in liver cells, where it builds up and causes fatty liver\ndisease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This build-up of fat can be caused by a\nvariety of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drinking too much alcohol, for instance, can\ncause fatty liver disease in the alcohol. That is the first stage of liver\ndisease related to alcohol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cause of fatty liver disease is less\nobvious in people who don&#8217;t drink much alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One or more of the following factors may play\na role:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Obesity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High blood sugar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Insulin resistance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High levels of fat, especially triglycerides, in your blood<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Less common causes include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pregnancy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rapid weight loss<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some types of infections, such as hepatitis c<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Side effects of other pharmaceutical drugs, like as methotrexate<br>(trexall), tamoxifen (Nolvadex), amiodorone (Pacerone), and valproic acid<br>(Depakote)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exposure to certain toxins<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some genes can also increase the risk of\nfatty liver growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Risk_factors_for_NAFD\"><\/span>Risk factors for NAFD<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A risk factor makes a person more likely to\nhave a condition or disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has multiple\nrisk factors including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Being obese or overweight<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Having type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developing metabolic syndrome (excess body weight, resistance to<br>insulin, high blood pressure and elevated triglyceride)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some genetic metabolic conditions or\nprescription medications, including amiodarone, diltiazem , steroids, and\ntamoxifen also may increase the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. When\nyou are taking one of these drugs and have a fatty liver condition, the doctor\nmay be adding another drug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Complication\"><\/span>Complication <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The main risk of NAFLD is cirrhosis, which\ncan limit your liver\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ability to do its job. Your liver has several important\nfunctions, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Producing bile, which helps break down fats and remove waste from<br>the body<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Metabolizing medication and toxins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Balancing fluid levels in the body through protein production<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Processing hemoglobin and storing iron<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Converting ammonia in your blood to harmless urea for excretion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Storing and releasing glucose (sugar) as needed for energy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Producing cholesterol, which is necessary for cellular health<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Removing bacteria from blood<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Producing immune factors to fight infections<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regulating blood clotting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Cirrhosis can sometimes progress to liver\ncancer or liver failure. In some cases, liver failure can be treated with\nmedications, but usually a liver transplant is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mild cases of NAFLD may not lead to serious\nliver problems or other complications. Early diagnosis and lifestyle changes\nare vital for the preservation of liver health in mild cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prevention\"><\/span>Prevention<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To reduce your risk of NAFLD:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose a healthy diet. Select a healthy diet focused on plants<br>which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintain a healthy weight. If you&#8217;re overweight or obese, decrease<br>the amount of calories you eat every day and get more exercise. When you have a<br>healthy weight, deal on eating a balanced diet and exercising to preserve it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exercise. Exercise most days of the week. Get an OK from your<br>doctor first if you haven&#8217;t been exercising regularly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a paragliding term for a variety of liver conditions that affect people who drink little to no alcohol. As the name suggests, NAFLD has too much fat contained in the liver cells as its key characteristic. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is also known as fatty liver. NAFLD is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}