Red flag signs of advanced fatty liver disease (FLD) include jaundice (yellow skin/eyes), swelling in the abdomen (ascites) or legs (edema), easy bruising/bleeding, dark urine, pale/black stools, itchy skin, severe fatigue, and confusion, indicating serious liver damage (cirrhosis). Earlier signs might be subtle, like upper right abdominal pain, weakness, or unexplained weight loss, often detected via elevated liver enzymes in blood tests.
Symptoms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Swelling in the legs and ankles (edema) occurs due to increased pressure from portal hypertension caused by liver damage associated with fatty liver disease. This pressure buildup leads to fluid accumulation in the surrounding tissues, resulting in swelling.
Eating excess calories causes fat to build up in the liver. When the liver does not process and break down fats as it normally should, too much fat will accumulate. People tend to develop fatty liver if they have certain other conditions, such as obesity, diabetes or high triglycerides.
Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. The sugar in these beverages are converted to fat once reaching the liver and can worsen NAFLD. Avoid alcohol. It can do further damage to your liver.
If you follow your provider's treatment plan, it's possible to reduce liver fat and inflammation. You can prevent the damage from worsening and, in some cases, reverse early liver damage.
Here are 10 medications that in some instances can hurt the liver, plus ways to help protect it from damage.
Common side effects
Early signs your liver is struggling often include persistent fatigue, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain/bloating (especially upper right), and itchy skin, with changes in urine/stool color and easy bruising also being key indicators, though sometimes symptoms are absent in early stages. Pay attention to changes like dark urine, pale stools, or jaundice (yellow skin/eyes), as these signal the liver isn't filtering toxins or processing bilirubin properly.
As the liver becomes more severely damaged, more obvious and serious symptoms can develop, such as: yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice) swelling in the legs, ankles and feet caused by a build-up of fluid (oedema)
Resmetirom (Rezdiffra) and semaglutide can help reduce the amount of fat and scarring in the liver. These medicines are not recommended for people with cirrhosis. People who have cirrhosis due to MASH may need a liver transplant.
Decreased kidney function can lead to sodium (salt) retention, causing swelling in your feet and ankles. Swelling in the lower extremities can also be a sign of heart disease, liver disease and chronic leg vein problems. Learn more about salt and kidney disease.
Reduced concentration span and decreased ability to make decisions: Fatty liver disease can cause the sufferer to feel dizzy, lack concentration and experience a decreased ability to make decisions.
Signs that you may have more serious fatty liver disease are:
Outcome and Management. The severity of liver injury from amlodipine ranges from mild and transient serum enzyme elevations to self-limited jaundice. Complete recovery is expected after stopping the drug and recovery is usually rapid (4 to 8 weeks).
5 of the worst blood pressure medications
Recently, some researchers have questioned the benefit of amlodipine for treating hypertension. Studies suggested that amlodipine may activate a different type of calcium channel, resulting in changes to blood vessels and an increase in heart failure in patients.
Chemicals that are especially toxic for the liver include:
Some of the most common symptoms of drug induced liver injury are:
Some research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may reduce liver fat and may slow or even reverse MASLD scarring. Other studies haven't found a strong connection between omega-3s and liver inflammation or scarring. Natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids are best.
People with advanced stages of the disease may have a shorter life span, especially if they don't get treated. Studies show that people with cirrhosis or liver cancer from fatty liver disease are more likely to die early than people without it.
The goal is to lose 7 to 10% of body weight per year and exercise more than 200 minutes per week. The good news is that NAFL and NASH are reversible. However, once fatty liver has progressed to cirrhosis or liver cancer, it is no longer reversible.