One time I caught a cold, and the symptoms though minor lasted for over two weeks. That's rather unusual for me, so I went to the doctor. He started putting me under all these expensive tests, including an ultrasound (I'm not pregnant, doc!). He then said that I seemed to have a fatty liver, as if that had anything to do with my illness.
He wanted me to come in for more tests and more appointments, but I really didn't feel like it, especially since the cold finally went away at that time. When I told the doctor that, he didn't seem to mind at all. OK, what happened to the concern over my fatty liver?
I would not ignore is diagnosis, Ten. A fatty liver can be a serious problem. I would follow up with him and see if the tests confirm you have one. If so, I would take steps to correct the problem. As an aside, if your liver is not functioning properly, then that will impact your immune system and prevent you from getting over your cold as fast.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Introduction
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) describes a range of conditions involving the liver that affect people who drink little or no alcohol.
The mildest type is simple fatty liver (steatosis), an accumulation of fat within your liver that usually causes no liver damage. A potentially more serious type, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is associated with liver-damaging inflammation and, sometimes, the formation of fibrous tissue. In some cases, this can progress either to cirrhosis, which can produce progressive, irreversible liver scarring, or to liver cancer.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease affects all age groups, including children. Most often, it's diagnosed in middle-aged people who are overweight or obese, and who may also have diabetes and elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
With the increasing incidence of obesity and diabetes in Western countries, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has become a growing problem. Although its true prevalence is unknown, some estimates suggest it may affect as many as one-third of American adults.
Because early-stage nonalcoholic fatty liver disease rarely causes any symptoms, it's often detected because of abnormal results of liver tests done for unrelated issues. Treatments for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease include weight loss, exercise, improved diabetes control and the use of cholesterol-lowering medications.
mayoclinic.com |
