How is fatty liver disease diagnosed

It's not yet clear how coffee may influence liver damage, but findings suggest it may contain certain compounds that may play a role in fighting inflammation. If you already drink coffee, these results may make you feel better about your morning cup of coffee. But if you don't already drink coffee, this probably isn't a good reason to start.

Discuss the potential benefits of coffee with your doctor. Start by making an appointment with your family doctor or primary doctor if you have signs and symptoms that worry you.

If your doctor suspects you may have a liver problem, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in the liver hepatologist.

Because appointments can be brief, it's a good idea to be well prepared. Here's some information to help you get ready, and what to expect from your doctor. In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis Because NAFLD causes no symptoms in most cases, it frequently comes to medical attention when tests done for other reasons point to a liver problem. Care at Mayo Clinic Our caring team of Mayo Clinic experts can help you with your nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-related health concerns Start Here. Email address. First Name let us know your preferred name. Last Name. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth digestive health guide will be in your inbox shortly.

Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic.

In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering.

Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at www. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. Now Reading:. Membership My Account. Rewards for Good. Share with facebook. Share with twitter. Share with linkedin. Share using email. Jenn Liv. Foods that fight inflammation.

Send to: is required Error: This is required Error: Not a valid value. On this page What is fatty liver disease? What are the symptoms of fatty liver disease? What causes fatty liver disease? How is fatty liver disease diagnosed?

How is fatty liver disease managed? Can fatty liver disease be prevented? What are the complications of fatty liver disease? Resources and support Related information on Australian websites What is fatty liver disease? The fat in liver cells can build up.

If there is too much, you have fatty liver. A normal healthy liver compared to one with fatty liver disease where the fat is stored in the liver cells. People who have symptoms may: feel tired or generally unwell have pain in the upper right part of their abdomen lose weight What causes fatty liver disease? About 1 in 3 Australians has fatty liver. It is more common in people who: have high blood pressure have high cholesterol and high triglycerides have type 2 diabetes or look like they will develop it are overweight , especially around the abdomen A few people have fatty liver due to other diseases, such as polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , chronic hepatitis B , chronic hepatitis C or haemochromatosis a genetic abnormality of iron storage , or reactions to drugs such as kava or medicines such as steroids or chemotherapy.

Some women can also develop fatty liver because of complications that develop late in pregnancy. If you have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, you will probably be advised to: drink no or very little alcohol follow a healthy diet and avoid sugar lose weight exercise regularly control your blood sugar treat high cholesterol if you have it avoid medicines that can affect your liver quit smoking Your doctor can help you.

People with fatty liver have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Resources and support Queensland Health: practical tips on how to prevent or manage fatty liver disease Hepatitis NSW: A healthy diet for fatty liver repair.

Back To Top. However, not everyone will benefit from these treatments, and there has been some concern about safety and side effects. There are more drugs in the pipeline, some with promising initial study results. The good news is that the most effective treatment so far for fatty liver disease does not involve medications, but rather lifestyle changes.

The bad news is that these are typically hard to achieve and maintain for many people. Even though it can be difficult to make these lifestyle changes and lose the weight, the benefit is immense if you have fatty liver, so give it your best effort!