Since upper right abdominal pain could indicate several serious conditions, imaging studies are often used to assist in the diagnostic process. This is a classic symptom of diabetes that often shows up in patients who also have a fatty liver. When the vomiting and nausea are related to the liver, patients will also often experience jaundice, weight loss, and generalized fatigue. They include: Because most people don’t have symptoms, these conditions aren’t easy to diagnose. Fatty liver disease affects roughly twenty-five percent of the world's population, and the incidence of the disease is increasing with the current obesity epidemic. The spleen size may decrease with the treatment of fatty liver disease, and regular ultrasounds can monitor the patient's status. When taken in large amounts, acetaminophen can cause severe liver damage. However, if individuals develop insulin resistance, this can lead them to rapidly lose weight because their body is struggling to store sugar where it's supposed to be. Fatty liver usually causes no symptoms. WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Redness on the palms also sometimes occurs. This symptom indicates the liver is not functioning properly and can no longer filter bilirubin (a yellow liquid) effectively. It usually gets better when you stop drinking alcohol. Patients with an enlarged liver might observe enlarged blood vessels just beneath the surface of the skin. Continue reading to discover more symptoms of fatty liver disease now. The liver is located in this area, and the pain often begins as a dull ache that comes and goes. Enlarged Liver. Some estimates indicate up to twenty percent of adults in the United States can have some form of the disease. You might hear your doctor call it hepatic steatosis. Inflammation in the liver has caused scarring. Treating liver pain. Since the human body can't function without the liver, this condition can be life-threatening unless patients get a liver transplant. Sign Up to Receive Our Free Coroanvirus Newsletter, What Is Fatty Liver Disease? People with fatty liver disease often have no symptoms until the disease progresses to cirrhosis of the liver. A fatty liver may also be identified on an imaging test as a part of investigating abnormal liver blood tests. While fatty liver disease can't currently be cured, weight loss is the major recommended treatment option. When individuals are feeling fatigued, there's often a sense of fogginess that comes along with it, but the difficulty focusing can also become even more serious. When swelling occurs in the ankles, feet, or legs, it's called edema. Read more about the symptoms linked to fatty liver disease now. This is because a person might not experience any symptoms, even as the disease progresses. Other diseases, like hepatitis or hemochromatosis, can cause the liver to become damaged over time. Fibrosis. Unexplained weight loss can sometimes be a sign of fatty liver disease. In addition to the difficulty focusing and confusion, many patients experiencing cirrhosis might be unusually drowsy and have slurred speech. They may feel the need to sleep for longer than they usually do at night, and some patients find they need to take naps for several hours during the day too. Some people who have surgery to remove their. Nausea and vomiting are some of the most classically observed signs of liver disease. Uncover details on more warning signs of fatty liver disease now. The liver breaks down acetaminophen into a chemical that is poisonous to liver cells, but normally an antioxidant made in the liver — called glutathione — prevents the chemical from causing harm. That can result in: For NAFLD and NASH, It boils down to making better choices: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: “Definition & Facts of NAFLD & NASH,” “Cirrhosis,” “Symptoms & causes of NAFLD & NASH,” “Diagnosis of NAFLD & NASH,” “Treatment for NAFLD & NASH,”, American Liver Foundation: “Alcohol-Related Liver Disease.”, Mayo Clinic: “Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease,” “Alcoholic hepatitis.”, American Academy of Pediatrics: “Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Diagnosis and Management.”, Clinical Trials.gov: “A Study of Pemafibrate in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD),” “Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Pharmacological Treatment: Metformin Versus Atorvastatin,” “Treatment for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver With Different Doses of Vitamin E.”, UpToDate: “Epidemiology, clinical features, and diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adults.”, University of Michigan Medicine: “Alcoholic Liver Disease.”, Current Opinion in Gastroenterology: “Aging and liver disease.”. The fat cells around the liver aren't what cause the weight loss. The most common symptoms associated with fatty liver disease are outlined below. Although the spleen may not be felt in healthy individuals, doctors can often identify an enlarged spleen in patients who are ill. The main complication for all these conditions is cirrhosis, or scarring of your liver.