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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, often called NAFLD, is a liver problem that affects people who drink little to no alcohol. In NAFLD, too much fat builds up in the liver. It is seen most often in people who are overweight or obese.
Liver problems that can occur include fatty liver disease and cirrhosis. The liver and its cells, as seen through a microscope, change greatly when a liver becomes fatty or cirrhotic. Liver disease doesn't always cause symptoms that can be seen or felt.
If you find out you have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, some basic questions to ask include: Is the fat in my liver hurting my health? Will my fatty liver disease become serious?
Finding the cause of liver damage and how bad it is help guide treatment. Your healthcare professional starts with a health history and complete physical exam. Your healthcare professional may then suggest:
Rather than a disease, an enlarged liver is a sign of an underlying problem, such as liver disease, congestive heart failure or cancer. Treatment involves identifying and controlling the cause of the condition.
Causes. A wide range of diseases and conditions can damage the liver and lead to cirrhosis. Some of the causes include: Long-term alcohol abuse. Ongoing viral hepatitis (hepatitis B, C and D). Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition in which fat accumulates in the liver. Hemochromatosis, a condition that causes iron buildup in the body.
This liver condition is becoming more common in the Western world. Find out how to treat and prevent this potentially dangerous liver disease.
Causes. Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by damage to the liver from drinking alcohol. Just how alcohol damages the liver and why it does so only in some heavy drinkers isn't clear. These factors are known to play a role in alcoholic hepatitis: The body's way of breaking down alcohol makes highly toxic chemicals.
Acute liver failure is loss of liver function that happens quickly — in days or weeks — usually in a person who has no preexisting liver disease. It's most often caused by a hepatitis virus or drugs, such as acetaminophen.
Causes. Autoimmune hepatitis occurs when the body's immune system, which usually attacks viruses, bacteria and other causes of disease, instead targets the liver. This attack on the liver can lead to long-lasting inflammation and serious damage to liver cells.