Introduction
The liver, an organ situated in the right hand portion of the abdominal chamber, is integral to the human digestive system. The organ, the largest solid organ in the human body, performs critical sets of functions to ensure the human body performs at its optimum state (Baig et al., 2001). Despite the liver being a vital organ, it is delicate and can be damaged by a variety of illnesses that are fatal to human beings in the long run. The different kinds of liver diseases include those caused by drugs and alcohol like liver cirrhosis and fatty liver disease, infections resulting from viruses like Hepatitis A, B, and C, and liver cancer. There are also liver diseases like Wilson disease and hemochromatosis that are inherited.
The main focus of this paper is fatty liver disease. This disease is mainly caused by the aggregation of fats. A liver is considered healthy if it stores only a small amount of fat that is approximately less than five percent of the weight of the liver. Although fatty liver disease does not have significant consequential problems to the human body and does not inhibit the liver’s normal function, it can be harmful as it progresses over time.
Two types of the disease are Nonalcoholic and Alcoholic (the AFLD and NAFLD). The NAFLD is caused by other things other than excessive consumption of alcohol; it has been connected with insulin aversion, increased blood pressure, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, increased cholesterol levels, and obesity (Loomba et al., 2021). On the contrary, ALFLD has been said to be caused by severe drinking problems. Both these types of the liver disease exhibit similar signs and symptoms that could be used for diagnosis.
Anatomy of the liver
The liver is positioned in the right portion of the midriff. It lies under the diaphragm and slightly on top of the stomach. It is also, the second-largest body part and the largest secretory organ in the body of a human being. It has two principal lobes (Abdel-Mish & Bloomston, 2010). It is split into a left and right lobe by the falciform ligature; the left being more prominent than the right one. The two main lobes are further divided into eight segments comprised of thousands of lobes.
The diaphragmatic surface of the liver is covered by a thin mucous membrane known as the peritoneum, whose function is to help protect the liver against friction caused by other body organs. The visceral surface, which is the lower surface of the liver, is also covered by the peritoneum. This surface is shaped into an uneven and concave shape by the configuration of the surrounding organs.
There are two crucial lobes that arise from the larger right lobe. These are the caudate lobe and the quadrate lobe (McCuskey, 2012). The caudate lobe is positioned on the upper surface of the visceral surface. Physiologically it is considered a separate lobe of the liver because it has its arterial supply and venous drainage. On the other hand, the quadrate lobe is positioned on the inferior side of the liver between the gallbladder and a fossa left behind by the umbilical vein.
The liver performs a variety of life-sustaining functions in the human body. One of the critical roles played by the liver is the modulation of chemical levels in the blood (Ehlting et al., 2021). It refashions surplus glucose into glycogen which is easier to store for later use as an energy source. The liver also processes the blood by breaking down and creating essential nutrients that are significant to the human body. Bile which is a crucial component in the process of breaking down fats into fatty acids is also produced by the liver. Bile is made up of cholesterol and bile acids which are essential in the removal of waste, and it also assists in breaking down fats during digestion in the small intestines. Another vital role of the liver is the clearance of bilirubin from the red blood cells. The accumulation of bilirubin makes the eyes and skin to assume a yellow color.
Pathology
Fatty liver is the accumulation of a variety of fats in the liver cells including triglycerides. A liver is considered fatty when it contains fat over five to ten percent of the liver’s overall weight. The disease can be characterized as AFLD, which is caused by excessive consumption of alcohol, and AFLD, which occurs as a result of abnormal metabolism. The risk factors differ between AFLD and NFLD.
Four vital phases of fatty liver disease exist; the first stage is the simple fatty liver, commonly known as liver steatosis. In this stage, the triglyceride fats accumulate in the liver. Although the build-up of fats in the liver cell is abnormal, at this stage, it does not lead to any symptoms. Initially, a tiny number of fats can be detected in the sacs around the nucleus in what is known as microvascular fatty change (Cohen et al., 2011). As the fats build-up, it forces the nucleus to the sides of the cell leading the vacuoles to join together, forming enlarged fatty cysts.
The second stage is slightly severe compared to the first stage. In this stage, the liver undergoes cellular inflammation as the accumulation of fats becomes prominent. Also, at this stage, patients with the fatty liver disease begin to show some symptoms such as a dull pain at the right upper side of the midriff. They also feel fatigued quickly.
Stage three of the disease is characterized by the scarring of liver tissues. This occurs as scar tissues accumulate to replace healthy liver tissues. This stage is known as liver fibrosis, resulting from a decreased blood flow throughout the organ. Even though the liver is affected to some extent at this stage, the symptoms are vague, meaning a more significant number of patients fail to see medical help. When left untreated, liver fibrosis develops into cirrhosis.
The final stage of fatty liver disease is cirrhosis. Cirrhosis means the liver is extensively damaged to the extent it severely affects liver function. The liver deforms and shrinks in this stage as the scar tissue has wholly replaced healthy live tissues. Cirrhosis will eventually lead to failure of the live or in other cases cancer.
Signs and symptoms
Typically, the first stage of this disease has no noticeable signs and symptoms, and this is mainly due to the fact that simple fats in the liver are to a great extent harmless (DiGiacinto, 2021). The majority of the people living with the disease do not show any noticeable symptoms until the disease progresses into liver cirrhosis. At this stage, an individual may start experiencing pain around their abdominal area, lack of appetite, occasional nausea, jaundice, extreme fatigue, swollen legs, and mental confusion. Doctors can carry out tests like imaging of the liver to help them make a precise diagnosis of the existence of any liver diseases.
Treatment
The most effective way to treat fatty liver disease without medication is through lifestyle change (Armand, 2019). Patients diagnosed with fatty liver disease are advised to lose weight as it decreases the fat in the liver. Research has shown that when a patient reduces 7-10% of their body weight, it reduces the degree of inflammation and lacerations to the liver cells. It has also been shown that weight loss might reverse the extent of damages caused by fibrosis. However, patients are advised to stick to a weight loss plan that insists on reducing the weight steadily rather than rapidly, which can actually make the disease worsen.
Furthermore, fatty liver disease patients are also advised to eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts. These foods can decrease the quantity of fat in the liver. Victims are further recommendations to use canola and olive oil instead of butter and eat plenty of legumes and nuts, and in the process, replace red meat with fish.
Additionally, it is essential for patients to keep their liver healthy by avoiding alcohol and ensuring their medication is not toxic to the liver (Tanaka et al., 2017). On the other hand, the medicine used to control cholesterol, diabetes, and fats in the blood are also crucial in treating fatty liver disease. Vaccination to protect the liver against viruses such as hepatitis A and B is also essential to ensure a healthy liver.
However, at the moment, there are no drugs acceptedna by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for fatty liver disease. But there are drug therapy options that can help keep the patient’s liver healthy. These include vitamin E, which is a good antioxidant, and pioglitazone and thiazolidinediones, which are used for the treatment of diabetes.
Conclusion
The liver is an amazing organ that has the ability to repair itself in case of any damage. Changing an individual’s way of life by avoiding alcohol, adopting a healthy eating lifestyle, and maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce inflammation and fat that is found in the liver, which could potentially reverse any damage that could have to happen to the liver. In most cases, unless the disease progresses into liver cirrhosis, the fatty liver disease typically goes undetected because it does not cause problems for a majority of people. This is the downside to fatty liver disease; if a person does not have knowledge of the existence of the condition, it might progress into a more dangerous disease that has irreversible damage. When liver cirrhosis goes untreated for a long time, it can eventually advance to liver cancer or failure of the liver.
NAFLD is the typical acute liver illness in the globe these days and more people are dying from it at a high rate. It is crucial to note that the liver is one crucial organ that no human being can live without; taking good care of the liver is mandatory for every individual. When one starts experiencing the early signs of the disease, one must seek medical help before it’s too late to treat the condition. Untreated fatty liver disease may lead to complications that may involve kidney and liver failure that is fatal. It is vital that people take the required steps to try and reverse or, better yet, avoid fatty liver disease. People must not wait to experience symptoms for them to look for treatment; people must learn to live a healthy life by eating healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, and losing weight.
References
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Armand, W. (2019, January 10). Fatty liver disease: What it is and what to do about it – Harvard Health. Harvard Health; Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fatty-liver-disease-what-it-is-and-what-to-do-about-it-2019011015746
Baig, N. A., Herrine, S. K., & Rubin, R. (2001). Liver disease and diabetes mellitus. Clinics in laboratory medicine, 21(1), 193-207.
Cohen, J. C., Horton, J. D., & Hobbs, H. H. (2011). Human fatty liver disease: old questions and new insights. Science, 332(6037), 1519-1523.
DiGiacinto, J. (2021, September 8). Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Healthline; Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease#nafl-vs-nash
Ehlting, C., Wolf, S. D., & Bode, J. G. (2021). Acute-phase protein synthesis: a key feature of innate immune functions of the liver. Biological Chemistry.
Loomba, R., Friedman, S. L., & Shulman, G. I. (2021). Mechanisms and disease consequences of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Cell, 184(10), 2537-2564.
McCuskey, R. (2012). Anatomy of the liver. Zakim and Boyer’s Hepatology: a textbook of liver disease, 6, 3-19.
Tanaka, N., Aoyama, T., Kimura, S., & Gonzalez, F. J. (2017). Targeting nuclear receptors for the treatment of fatty liver disease. Pharmacology & therapeutics, 179, 142-157.
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