Stages of Fatty Liver Disease
Typically, there are few or no symptoms of early-stage fatty liver disease. If you do experience symptoms, you may feel tired or have discomfort in the upper-right part of your abdomen. As the disease progresses, you can develop:
- jaundice (yellowing of your skin and eyes)
- abdominal swelling
- internal bleeding
- cirrhosis (severe liver scarring). Cirhossis puts you at risk for liver cancer and other serious liver problems.
Types of Fatty Liver Disease
There are two main types of fatty liver disease. People typically have one form or the other, but it is possible to have both types at the same time.
This type of fatty liver disease results from drinking too much alcohol. Years of excess alcohol consumption can cause serious, permanent damage to your liver.
This form of fatty liver disease is the most common liver disease in the U.S. and corresponds with rising national obesity rates. It is caused by obesity, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol. Doctors call it metabolic dysfunction-associated steatosis liver disease (MASLD) in its early stages.