Hepatosis (liver steatosis). Causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of fatty hepatosis. Liver steatosis, treatment with folk remedies Liver steatosis symptoms, treatment with folk remedies

Liver steatosis is a disease that is also called fatty liver disease or fatty liver. This is one of the types of hepatosis, which is based on metabolic disorders in the liver cells, which leads to dystrophic changes.

In the case of liver steatosis, fat accumulates in its cells, which may be a reaction to toxic substances in the body, but most often this process is caused by pathological conditions of the body associated with metabolism.

Liver steatosis is one of the few diseases that is asymptomatic. Often, pathology is detected during an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.

The disease is stable, without progression, but in some cases patients may feel heaviness in the liver area (right hypochondrium), which intensifies with movement.

If an inflammatory process is added to the disease, then there is a threat of liver fibrosis (develops in 40% of patients) or cirrhosis (develops in 10% of patients).

If there is no inflammatory process, then the maximum discomfort that patients may feel is nausea, general weakness and high fatigue.

To understand how to treat steatosis, you need to understand its causes and act on them.

First of all, steatosis develops due to metabolic disorders, and therefore people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia and obesity are at risk.

People with alcohol dependence disease are also susceptible to steatosis, but in this case it develops under the influence of toxic substances - the breakdown products of ethanol. Chronic use of medications can also lead to disruption of cellular metabolism in the liver.

Lack of protein in food is another possible cause of steatosis. Steatosis can also be associated with overeating or starvation. Thus, there are two groups of steatosis:

• non-alcoholic liver steatosis - it is caused by pathological processes in the body associated with metabolism;
• alcoholic steatosis of the liver - occurs with prolonged and regular exposure to alcohol on the body, toxins arising from the breakdown of ethanol.

It should be noted that today non-alcoholic liver steatosis is most often detected.

Diet for liver steatosis

Before treating liver steatosis, you need to organize a balanced diet, because otherwise none of the treatment methods will be effective.

First of all, you need to increase your protein intake and reduce your fat and carbohydrate intake. It is important to adhere to the rules of a balanced diet with an emphasis on protein foods: you should not completely exclude fats and carbohydrates, this also leads to disruption of cellular metabolism.

The diet should contain enough boiled and stewed dietary meat - rabbit and chicken. Pork consumption needs to be controlled because it is a fatty product.

When composing a dish, pay attention to the fact that it consists of vegetables and meat. Porridges are also useful; cereals contain a lot of B vitamins, which are useful in treating the liver.

Liver steatosis - treatment and drugs

Treatment of steatosis with medications is an additional, but important stage of treatment. For this, hepatoprotectors are used - medications that protect and restore liver cells.

They are taken for a month, and if necessary, this period is extended to 2-3 months.

One of the main remedies is vitamin B12. It can be taken in complex vitamin preparations.

The liver is the most important human organ; even a slight disruption of its functioning can be fatal. This is due to the fact that it performs many functions for the normal life of the human body.

It is important that the liver neutralizes poisonous and toxic substances, synthesizes enzymes and hormones, stores blood reserves, and stores vitamins. It also secretes bile, which is necessary for the digestion process.

Taking care of the health of the liver is the most important aspect for maintaining the body’s functioning without failures, because this organ is our natural filter, which must function without failures. This is very important for normal human life.

What is hepatic steatosis?

Steatosis, what is it?

Fatty liver, known in medical terminology as steatosis, is one of the most common diseases of this vital organ. Simply put, it is fatty liver. And this is a very dangerous disease.

The most vulnerable to this disease are elderly people (over 50 years old), diabetics, but also young people prone to excessive alcohol consumption become victims of this insidious disease.

Note!

The presence of fat in the liver is quite normal, but if its amount is more than 10% of the tissue, it means you have steatosis (obesity) and treatment must begin. It is worth noting that the sooner appropriate measures are taken, diagnostics are carried out, and a course of therapy is prescribed, the faster and better the result will be. Since an advanced disease is much more difficult to cure.

In the early stages of steatosis, treatment involves changes in diet and lifestyle. Fatty infiltration, or in simple terms, fatty liver, in most cases leads to complications that are life-threatening and can cause numerous health problems.

What is fatty liver infiltration, how to recognize the early symptoms of liver cirrhosis, and about folk remedies for treating liver steatosis and proper nutrition for liver disease, you can find out in our article.

The liver is the largest organ in our abdominal cavity, and is located on the right side of the abdomen, just below the diaphragm. In adults, this organ weighs from 1.2 to 1.6 kg.

The liver is primarily needed to filter the blood and remove harmful substances from the body. However, if the amount of fat in the liver exceeds five percent of its total weight, then the disorder is considered fatty liver disease. This condition usually affects people between 40 and 60 years of age and is not considered a serious illness.

However, if liver steatosis is in an advanced stage, it can lead to serious diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver, which can be life-threatening.

Although this organ can regenerate, it cannot be rehabilitated, leaving the diseased liver unable to perform its most basic functions.

Symptoms of fatty liver disease

Fat accumulates in the liver slowly, and in most cases this process occurs without any visible symptoms. That is why the disease is quite difficult to diagnose, since its early manifestations are often absent.

There are several characteristic symptoms of fatty liver disease:

• chronic fatigue;
• pain in the upper abdomen on the right;
• loss of appetite;
• Sometimes problems with concentration and attention arise.

As mentioned earlier, the disease is highly treatable when it is detected at a very early stage, so if you notice the presence of at least one of the symptoms or mild discomfort in the liver area, it is highly recommended to undergo examination at the hospital.

The disease can be diagnosed using ultrasound, CT and biopsy.

Note!

Treatment is most often based on changes in diet, body weight management, moderate physical activity (daily walking, light jogging, exercise, cycling, etc.).

Studies have shown that 15-20 minutes of walking a day is enough to reduce the amount of fat in the liver.

Causes of liver stetosis

Long-term alcohol use is the most common, but not the only, trigger for fat accumulation in the liver. This can be influenced by both genetic predisposition and obesity.

In addition, treatment with corticosteroids and cytotoxic drugs can lead to the accumulation of fat and toxins in the liver, as well as an unhealthy diet rich in trans fats.

Prohibited foods for steatosis

Diet for liver steatosis is an essential part of treatment.

• Salo;
• sausage and bacon;
• full-fat milk, cream, sour cream and cheese;
• salami and ham;
• hot dogs.

It is strictly forbidden to fry products!

You should also exclude:

• Cookies, cakes, pastries, chocolate;
• potato chips, crackers; baked goods and bread made from white flour;
• pasta, rice;
• margarine, mayonnaise and butter.

Be careful with carbonated drinks because they contain concentrated sugars, and it is better to avoid them completely. It is recommended to reduce coffee to a minimum, and forget about cigarettes and alcohol altogether.

A person suffering from fatty liver disease should avoid drinking cold drinks, as low temperature causes vasoconstriction in the intestines, which in turn reduces the secretion of bile.

Spicy seasonings are also unfavorable:

• chilli;
• curry;
• vinegar and mustard.

You should not eat foods that contain a lot of preservatives and other artificial additives.

Allowed products for steatosis

Treatment of fatty liver requires proper balanced nutrition and good detoxification of the body. It is better to take the recommendations of a doctor or nutritionist.

The above-mentioned foods should be replaced with healthier and vitamin-rich foods.

Note!

The diet for steatosis includes plenty of seasonal vegetables and fresh fruits along with grains.

1. Primarily these are oatmeal, beans, peas, kidney beans and soybeans.
   To season dishes, use only flaxseed or olive oil. Eat more nuts, such as hazelnuts and almonds.
2. Don't forget about flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds. Drink plenty of fluids, and give priority to natural juices and light herbal teas.
   The diet does not completely exclude meat consumption; you are allowed to eat boiled chicken and turkey meat without skin - do not fry. This rule also applies to potatoes.
3. For liver steatosis, it is recommended to consume mainly high-grade vegetable fats: sunflower oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, olive oil.
   If possible, it is advisable to bake the fish in foil (at least twice a week) and serve it with a fresh green salad with a little olive oil.
4. It is advisable to use herbs instead of salt that affect the liver and improve its function: thyme, marjoram, tarragon, saffron, rosemary, oregano and cumin.

Let's talk about how to cleanse the liver using natural remedies and cure it of obesity. In case of illness, proven natural remedies will come to the rescue.

Treatment of fatty liver with bran

The simplest and at the same time very effective remedy that will help rid the liver of excess fat is regular bran.

Preparation:

1. Pour the bran with freshly boiled water and leave in it until the liquid cools.
2. Then drain the water and eat the steamed bran, 2 tablespoons at a time.
3. The number of doses per day is 3 times.

You can also add bran to other dishes: salads, cereals, soups.

Rose hips are very beneficial for liver health; a vitamin infusion is prepared from its fruits, which is taken if you feel that your liver needs support and treatment.

Preparation:

1. Take dried rose hips - 1 teaspoon.
2. Grind the fruits and pour boiling water into a thermos.
3. Let the mixture sit for three hours, then strain and let cool.

You should drink rosehip infusion twice a day, half a glass, 15 minutes before meals.

Immortelle flowers

A good folk remedy for liver steatosis is an infusion of immortelle flowers.

Preparation:

1. Take immortelle flowers - 2 tablespoons and pour boiling water - 1 glass.
2. Then place in a water bath and simmer, stirring, for 10 minutes. There is no need to boil on fire.
3. Remove from the water bath, strain and cool slightly.

If necessary, add boiled water to the infusion to its original volume.

We drink an infusion of immortelle flowers when problems arise in the liver, 3 tbsp. spoons, three times a day, warm, 20 minutes before meals.

Milk thistle

Milk thistle is considered the best ally for liver health because it contains silymarin, which stimulates the regeneration of damaged liver cells while protecting healthy ones.

This plant is often used in the treatment of fatty liver. Milk thistle tea is a powerful ally in the fight against fatty liver disease.

Fatty liver can be treated with green tea. It acts as an antioxidant and reduces inflammation.

Tea prevents the accumulation of fat in the body, thereby combating excess body weight, which is sometimes a trigger for the development of fatty liver.

Dandelion root

Dandelion root stimulates liver detoxification but also improves the regeneration of damaged cells and is also recommended when it comes to this health problem.

Dandelion tea is made by grinding the dried root of the plant, then pour two tablespoons of the dry raw material with hot water and boil for several minutes.

Artichoke

Artichoke extract is used medicinally as a therapeutic agent to support liver function, as it lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood and has antibacterial properties.

Artichokes are increasingly used in the pharmaceutical industry, as a supplement and the main ingredient in many drugs to protect the liver and bile ducts.

The vegetable contains many valuable vitamins (C, A, E), minerals (iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium).

Artichoke stimulates the secretion of bile in the liver, promotes the flow of bile ducts and improves digestion, cleanses the liver of toxins, improves the functioning of the hepatoprotective effect.

Liver treatment with folk remedies

For liver ailments, natural remedies are often used that are non-toxic, affordable and have proven themselves in practice.

Corn silk for liver health

The most common corn silk can be an excellent remedy for treating liver and gallbladder ailments.

The benefits of corn silk for the liver have been clinically proven; they reduce the viscosity of bile, promote its better discharge, and reduce the level of bilirubin in the blood.

Beneficial properties of corn silk:

• They have choleretic and diuretic properties;
• help remove small stones from the bile ducts;
• increase bile secretion;
• reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood and therefore corn silk can be used to prevent atherosclerosis;
• used as a diuretic and hemostatic agent for dropsy, urolithiasis and edema of various origins.

Corn silk is used for treatment in the form of a decoction or infusion.

Corn silk decoction - recipe

Preparation:

1. Place one teaspoon of corn silk in an enamel bowl and pour a glass of hot water.
2. Let the broth cook in a water bath for half an hour.
3. After this, remove the broth from the stove, wait for it to cool and strain.

How to use:

You should drink a decoction of corn silk, two to three tablespoons every three to four hours. It is advisable to do this before meals. The decoction should be shaken before taking.

Corn silk infusion - recipe

Preparation:

1. Pour two tablespoons of corn silk (pre-crushed) into one glass of boiling water and leave covered for half an hour.
2. Then strain through three layers of gauze.

How to use:

You should drink 1/3 cup of the decoction three times a day before you eat.

Turmeric will restore damaged liver

A very effective folk remedy for treating the liver and restoring its cells is turmeric.

Curcumin is a healing substance that turmeric contains, it is thanks to it that turmeric is famous for its healing power and also has a peculiar yellow color.

Curcumin has a beneficial effect on the liver, so it is recommended to use turmeric for the prevention and treatment of liver and biliary tract diseases.

Here are recipes for using this wonderful remedy.

Turmeric with honey

Preparation:

1. Put 0.25 teaspoon of turmeric in a glass of water, add a tablespoon of honey.
2. Let's wait 5 minutes until the honey dissolves. Then we mix our drink and drink it.

This recipe requires you to take turmeric three times a day.

Nut drink with turmeric

Preparation:

1. Place a teaspoon of turmeric, two tablespoons of cashew nuts and one glass of milk in a blender.
2. Beat everything well and drink.

This is a portion of turmeric taken for one day.

Liver treatment with oats

Oatmeal is healthy and is a favorite breakfast food for many children and adults.

Note!

It is oatmeal that is necessarily included in the menu of convalescent people in hospitals. All this is not accidental, because oats are a grain that cleanses the liver of harmful substances that gradually accumulate in it.

And this is vital, because the liver filters the blood, neutralizes dangerous and unnecessary substances, and also saturates it with enzymes that are useful. Treatment of the liver with folk remedies includes the use of various dishes, drinks and infusions of oats.

Oatmeal - recipe

Preparation:

1. Boil one liter of water or milk. Before boiling, add one tablespoon of sugar and a small pinch of salt.
2. Add one glass of oatmeal to the boiling mixture, stirring constantly.
3. Reduce the heat a little and wait for the porridge to boil and simmer it over low heat until it thickens.
4. Then remove the porridge from the stove, add a little butter and leave it warm for 20 minutes.

You can serve cooked oatmeal with the addition of honey, dried fruits or jam.

Oat jelly - recipe

1. Add one glass of oat grains to one liter of water and bring to a boil over low heat. Boiling time - 5 minutes.
2. Then we filter the resulting composition and again set it to simmer on low heat until the solution begins to empty.

You can add a little salt to the finished oat jelly, add butter or sugar to taste. However, such additives will slightly reduce the therapeutic effect.

Brew oats for the liver

The best way to cleanse the liver is to use infusions and decoctions of oats. After all, in liquid form, dishes are absorbed much better; beneficial substances, vitamins and microelements penetrate the bloodstream faster and are distributed faster throughout the body.

In order for cleansing with oats to be beneficial and not harmful, you need to drink the medicinal decoction little by little, but over a long period of time. The course lasts two months.

Oat infusion

Preparation:

1. We wash two tablespoons of oats and grind them in a coffee grinder.
2. Pour the oats into a thermos or container with a lid, pour 2 liters of boiling water, wrap it up and leave to steep for 12 hours in a warm place.

You should take the prepared oat infusion 2 glasses at a time, drink the medicinal drink before meals and three times a day.

Oatmeal recipe

Preparation:

1. Boil water - 1.5 liters and add oats - 150 grams.
2. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
3. Then remove from the stove and leave the oats to steep in a warm place for 3 hours. After this we filter.
4. We consume the prepared decoction in small portions throughout one day; the remainder can also be eaten or added to other dishes.

The course of using oatmeal broth is 2 weeks.

How to prepare and take:

You need to drink burdock juice in May.

1. Pick fresh and juicy leaves, wash, dry and cut off the cuttings.
2. We pass the leaves through a meat grinder and squeeze out the juice through cheesecloth.
3. Take a tablespoon before meals, as burdock juice has a rather bitter taste.

The course of treatment is 7 days, then a break for 7 days and again drink the juice for a week. It is highly advisable to drink one liter of this juice per season.

Conclusion

Folk remedies for the treatment of liver steatosis can be of great help, in combination with proper nutrition and moderate physical activity. Remember that it is very important to monitor your liver health.

One of the most effective and simple methods of preventing liver diseases is a special diet, consumption of healthy foods that contribute to the smooth and good functioning of the organ.

In fact, it’s a stretch to call steatosis a disease. Rather, this is a pathological condition of the liver, when fat accumulates in its cells, the pericellular space. There are many reasons for this, in particular, active fat deposition can begin as a result of alcohol abuse, poor diet or the presence of certain diseases. But whatever the reason, a long course of steatosis threatens with serious disruptions to the functioning of this organ.

Liver steatosis is a fairly common pathology. It occurs in people of both sexes and of any age. Even in children it is sometimes diagnosed. But still, most often steatosis is observed in the age group after 45 years. Moreover, non-alcoholic steatosis is more often found in women. In men, it is the alcoholic form of this pathology that is diagnosed. It must also be said that steatosis can develop either independently or be a symptom of a disease, for example, diabetes.

Is liver steatosis dangerous? What are the treatments, medications, and diet for this condition? Let's find it all out:

Liver steatosis - treatment

First of all, it is necessary to identify the cause that caused this pathology and eliminate it. Well, and in addition, measures should be taken to normalize metabolic processes in the body.

If the patient’s condition requires it, for example, with an exacerbation of steatosis, the patient is admitted to a hospital. Prescribe bed rest, rest, diet, and medications. After the condition has stabilized, the patient continues treatment on an outpatient basis.

Liver steatosis - drugs

It should be noted that in the treatment of pathology, medications are prescribed individually for each patient after diagnosis. In this case, the cause of the development of this disorder, the state of health, and the age of the patient are taken into account.

But, in any case, treatment includes the use of drugs that improve fat metabolism. In particular, folic or lipoic acid, vitamin B4 (choline), vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) are used for this.

When carrying out complex treatment, hepatoprotective drugs are prescribed. These include, for example, Essentiale - Forte, Karsil, Hofitol. Ursosan, Heptral and other treatments have proven themselves well.

In addition to medications, complex therapy for steatosis must include feasible sports activities. The best results are obtained by swimming, jogging, and gymnastics. Physical activity is especially indicated for patients with obesity and diabetes. By the way, such patients, in addition to the listed medications, are prescribed drugs from the biguanide group, for example, metformin.

If the cause of liver steatosis is alcohol damage, the main thing in therapy is complete abstinence from alcohol. After which you can begin the treatment described above.

As a rule, at the very beginning of the development of pathology, at the first stage of steatosis, treatment leads to complete recovery. The second stage can also be treated quite successfully, provided that all the instructions and recommendations of the attending physician are followed.

The most severe stage, the third stage, is usually irreversible. Maintenance therapy with medications is provided here. In this case, the goal is to stop (suspension) the process of liver cell breakdown. This stage involves the most careful and precise adherence to the doctor’s instructions. Otherwise, liver steatosis at the third stage threatens to degenerate into cirrhosis.

Liver steatosis - folk remedies

To help the liver get rid of fat, you can use bran. For this. Pour boiling water over a handful of bran and wait until it steams. Now drain the water. Eat 2 tbsp throughout the day. l. such steamed bran.

Liver steatosis, treatment of this pathology can be carried out with the help of rose hips. For this, 1 tbsp. l. dried fruits (previously crushed into smaller pieces) pour a glass of boiling water. Insulate the dishes with the infusion, or cook it in a thermos. Keep it like this for 2-3 hours. Then strain, drink half a glass before meals. By the way, in this case, rose hips can be mixed with the fruits of barberry and red rowan. You can add hop cones.

You can improve blood supply to the liver with the help of decoctions of St. John's wort, calendula flowers, May dandelion roots, corn silk, etc.

Liver steatosis - diet

As we already know, the appearance of steatosis is directly related to the accumulation of fat in the body. Therefore, the diet required for this pathology should contain a minimum of fatty foods. Preference should be given to plant-based and fermented milk foods. You should include foods containing easily digestible protein in your diet.

What not to do:

Eliminate fresh baked goods, donuts fried in oil, and pies from your diet. You should not eat fatty meats, poultry, or fish. Eliminate sausages, oily, fatty canned food, pickles, smoked foods, forget about fast food with fried potatoes and sweet soda.

You'll have to stop loving rich broths made from meat and fish. But in addition to this, you also need to give up okroshka, borscht and sour cabbage soup. Alcohol, strong tea, and coffee are contraindicated. You cannot eat fried or hard-boiled eggs.

Among vegetables, radish and its relative, radish, are prohibited. No garlic, green onions, peas, beans, beans. Mayonnaise and cottage cheese are not allowed.

What you can do:

As we have already talked to you, you can eat light fermented milk products, fresh vegetables, fruits, and berries. Whole grain porridge and bran are very healthy. You can add vegetable oil to your food, but only a little.

Eat small meals, little by little. Follow a gentle regimen, avoid stress and exercise regularly. Be healthy!

This is fatty liver disease, which is an accumulation of fatty droplets in hepatocytes. A huge accumulation of fat droplets leads to the hepatocyte rupturing, forming fatty cysts in the intercellular space, which leads to disruption of the functioning of the organ.

The disease is considered common and occurs not only in adults, but also in children of various ages. The disease develops much more often in people over 45, and according to statistics, women are affected more often than men. Steatosis can develop both as a pathology and as a symptom of primary diseases: diabetes mellitus, etc.

In medicine there are two types:

• focal (fat in the form of triglycerides is located only inside the cell, oppressing the nucleus)
• diffuse (fatty infiltration leads to cell rupture and the formation of fatty cysts in the liver).

Depending on the etiology, the disease is divided into:

• alcoholic liver steatosis
• non-alcoholic liver steatosis

Depending on the results of the examination, based on the microscopic picture of hepatocytes, large-droplet and small-droplet fatty liver disease is distinguished. Sometimes the disease proceeds atypically: drops of fat do not damage hepatocytes, but cause inflammatory processes that are clinically similar to alcoholic hepatitis. As a result, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis develops, which is the last stage before cirrhosis.

Causes

The etiology of the disease is different:

• Constant toxic effects on the body of alcohol, toxic substances, as well as medications, the side effect of which is hepatotoxicity. These include tetracycline antibiotics, cytostatics, tuberculostatic drugs, and corticosteroids.
• Development of myxedema - a severe form of hypothyroidism (pathology of the thyroid gland)
• Disorders of metabolic processes and functions of the endocrine system - the development of diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia and obesity.
• Severe cardiovascular failure, hypoxia, pulmonary failure and anemia (lead to cell necrosis and degeneration).
• Digestive imbalance - improper and irrational nutrition, constant dieting or frequent overeating. As a result, the enzyme systems that neutralize toxins in the liver are disrupted.
• Itsenko-Cushing syndrome (hypercortisolism) is a pathology in which the adrenal glands produce an excessive amount of hormones, which in turn have an adverse effect on the human body.
• Syndrome of impaired absorption in the digestive system: it includes chronic pancreatitis, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, ulcerative colitis.

Symptoms

The disease is characterized by slow development and chronic course. The peculiarity of the disease is that it can occur without the manifestation of clear symptoms, so often a dysfunction of the organ can be detected only during a routine medical examination.

Some of the first symptoms to appear are: nausea, weakness, a feeling of heaviness, pain and compression in the right hypochondrium. The liver acquires a smooth surface with rounded edges, becomes dense to the touch, and is painful on palpation. Splenomegaly and palmar erythema may develop.

Another suspicious symptom is the patient’s tendency to catch colds and infectious diseases due to a decrease in the body’s protective capacity. If liver function is impaired, symptoms of cholestasis may occur: yellow color of the skin, intense aching pain in the right hypochondrium, vomiting with bile and nausea.

With chronic alcoholism, patients experience a more pronounced picture of the disease: hyperlipidemia and hemolytic anemia, obstructive jaundice. Often there is painful nausea and vomiting, severe abdominal pain, fever and edematous-ascetic syndrome.

In the dosage form of liver steatosis, intrahepatic cholestasis, fever, leukocytosis in the blood and jaundice are observed, which is accompanied by hyperphosphatasemia, itching and other signs characteristic of liver failure.

Diagnostics

With hepatic steatosis, diagnosis is difficult: often laboratory tests do not show the inflammatory processes occurring in the liver. A preliminary diagnosis can be made based on the symptoms of the disease, taking into account medical history (frequent alcohol consumption, obesity or diabetes).

For an accurate diagnosis, the patient is sent for magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and ultrasound. The final diagnosis is made after aspiration biopsy. As a result, after examining the material, drops of fat are found in the liver cells, and the liver parenchyma in some places is replaced by fibrous tissue.

Stages of the disease

Liver steatosis begins to develop in case of excessive intake of fats into hepatocytes. First, drops of fat accumulate in single liver cells - disseminated fatty hepatosis develops. Then neighboring cells are involved in the process of obesity, and zonal fatty liver occurs. A process during which all liver hepatocytes are involved - diffuse fatty liver.

As a result of the accumulation of fat, the hepatocyte ruptures, adipose tissue is formed, which in turn entails a mesenchymal cellular reaction. As a result, the tissue around the cyst becomes denser, and then degenerates into fibrous tissue. This condition is the beginning of a disease that ends in death.

The following stages of steatosis are distinguished:

Treatment

Treatment of the disease occurs in several ways. Basic therapy consists of eliminating the causes of the disease and normalizing metabolism. The basis of therapy is a diet containing proteins and vitamins. The next stage of treatment is aerobic physical activity, which helps correct insulin resistance that develops against the background of diabetes mellitus.

Drug treatment consists of the use of lipotropic agents that eliminate fatty infiltration in the liver. Essential phospholipids are prescribed to patients, the role of which is to normalize the metabolism of lipids and proteins.

According to the doctor's indications, folic acid and drugs that stimulate albumin synthesis and increase glycogen reserves are prescribed. For malabsorption syndrome, the patient takes amino acid mixtures.

In severe forms of liver steatosis, the patient is urgently hospitalized in a hospital. Vasoconstrictors and vasodilators are used for treatment. If the patient has a complication, then diuretics are prescribed to remove fluid.

Forecast

The prognosis with timely and competent treatment is quite favorable. Even with the alcoholic form of the disease, provided that you abstain from drinking alcohol, recovery occurs within 3 weeks. If you adhere to bad habits, then protein deficiency is accompanied by fatty degeneration of the liver, which will subsequently lead to cirrhosis. Death can occur from vascular-cardiac and liver failure, bleeding from dilated veins of the esophagus.

Basic principles of nutrition

The following principles must be observed:

• provide the body with easily digestible, complete proteins
• consume carbohydrates within the physiological norm, if necessary, a reduced amount
• carefully process culinary products: boil, chop and puree food well
• Eat often, but in small portions
• Add fiber-rich foods to your diet.

It is necessary to exclude from the diet:

• Fat meat
• Fried food
• Refractory fats
• Strong rich broth
• Chocolate
• Canned foods
• Spinach and mushrooms
• Alcoholic drinks
• Ice cream

Video on the topic

Treatment with folk remedies

Treatment principles may include not only drug therapy, but also the use of traditional medicine. Rose hips, St. John's wort and other medicines are used for treatment.

Hepatocytes can be cleaned of fat using bran, which must be poured with boiling water and left to cool. After this, drain off the excess liquid, and eat the bran 2 tablespoons at a time. You must eat at least 3 servings per day. If necessary, you can mix bran with other cereals and soups.

A decoction of rose hips will also “clean” the liver, which should be consumed 125 ml per day 15 minutes before meals. To prepare it, you need to pour boiling water over the rose hips and leave for two hours, strain.

Another helper is corn silk, 2 tablespoons of which should be poured into 500 ml of boiling water, and then simmer the broth over low heat for about 5 minutes. Then leave the liquid to cool. Strain the resulting broth and drink 50 ml at an interval of 3 hours, regardless of the time of meal.

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Content

Another name for this disease is fatty liver hepatosis. The disease, as a rule, occurs due to metabolic disorders and the appearance of dystrophic changes in hepatocytes (liver cells). The pathology according to ICD-10 has code K70 or K76.0, depending on the type of illness.

What is steatosis

This concept includes various pathologies that lead to the formation of fatty inclusions in the liver parenchyma, for example, fatty infiltration of the liver, alcoholic or non-alcoholic hepatosis, etc. Those who want to know what steatosis is should understand that this disease can vary in shape, there are two of them: diffuse and focal. The latter is characterized by crowded patches of fat, which turn into one fat spot of varying sizes. Diffuse steatosis of the liver, on the contrary, has a spread of dystrophy over the entire surface of the organ.

The disease can develop at any age; sometimes it is diagnosed in children. It is more common in people over 45 years of age, which is associated with the accumulation of other negative factors by the body. Women are more often diagnosed with non-alcoholic steatosis due to obesity. In men, as a rule, there is an alcoholic appearance, which is associated with the abuse of alcoholic beverages. Pathology can develop independently or be a complication of another disease. Experts now consider the disease as one of the stages of steatohepatitis of different etiologies.

Stages and complications of steatosis

There is a certain classification of this disease. Depending on the signs and symptoms, there are several stages and complications of steatosis:

1. Initial. It manifests itself in the form of obesity, inclusions begin to form in the liver, but the hepatocytes are still intact.
2. Obesity with subsequent necrosis of liver cells; cysts form in the tissues of the organ.
3. Pre-cirrhotic condition. Around the cysts, connective tissue grows, which displaces the parenchyma, which leads to a violation of structural integrity.

Fatty degeneration (steatosis) does not go away without a trace. One of the most severe complications of the disease is rupture of the liver parenchyma, bleeding due to the large accumulation of fat in the cells. After this, the hepatocytes are not restored; fatty elements immediately accumulate at the rupture sites, which limit the functions of the liver. If the pathology is not treated in time, it can lead to cirrhosis and death.

Symptoms and causes of liver steatosis

This pathology does not occur immediately; a long stage of development occurs. Below we will discuss the symptoms and causes of liver steatosis, so that a person can begin to treat the disease in time. The very first manifestations of the disease may be asymptomatic for the patient. Fatty degeneration can be detected during other manipulations. Specific symptoms begin to appear when liver steatosis covers a significant area of ​​the organ. The patient feels:

• nausea;
• weakness;
• compressive heaviness in the right hypochondrium.

Sometimes pain of unknown origin occurs that is not associated with eating. These changes lead to disruptions in the functioning of the body’s immune system; a person who suffers from steatosis is more likely to catch colds. Decreased liver function leads to obstructed bile outflow, which can develop into cholestasis (stagnation). This pathology leads to yellowing of the sclera of the eyes and skin, which begins to itch. In some cases, there is vomiting mixed with bile.

The cause of steatosis is either metabolic disorders or alcohol abuse. The first case is characterized by an excess of fats in the body that are not used by the body. Most patients with non-alcoholic pathology have problems with excess weight. Primary steatosis occurs due to:

• diabetes mellitus;
• obesity;
• hyperlipidemia.

The basis of this type of pathology is a violation of carbohydrate and fat metabolism, therefore, during diagnosis, other diseases that provoke the development of primary steatosis will be identified. The secondary type of disease occurs due to the use of certain medications, for example:

• methotrexate;
• synthetic estrogens;
• tetracycline;
• glucocorticoids;
• anti-inflammatory drugs (some).

Another cause of secondary steatosis may be malabsorption syndrome, which occurs after anastomosis, gastroplasty, ostomy, and manipulation of the small intestine. The disease may occur due to too rapid weight loss, prolonged eating of the same food, without the necessary set of nutritional components. A number of studies prove that the disease can be transmitted genetically; a gene has been isolated that is faulty in people with this pathology.

Diet for liver steatosis

The process of treating the disease includes a specific nutrition menu. The diet for liver steatosis is aimed at reducing the intake of fats into the human body. If you want to cure a disease, then maintaining a balanced diet is imperative. To replace the missing elements, you should consume dairy products that are rich in easily digestible proteins. You need to eat fractionally, in small portions. Patients should completely avoid:

• alcohol;
• meat broths;
• fatty, fried foods;
• legumes;
• tomatoes;
• carbonated drinks;
• mushrooms;
• coffee;
• smoked meats

The diet should not be poor; the presence of a feeling of hunger is undesirable. To treat the disease, it is important to avoid table salt and foods containing cholesterol. The diet for steatosis is aimed at solving the following problems:

1. Restoring the liver's ability to accumulate glycogen.
2. Normalization of lost liver function due to fatty deposits.
3. Stimulation of bile secretion. The body lacks this substance with steatosis.

Treatment and medications for steatosis

The main task at the first stage is to find out the cause of fatty degeneration. This is sometimes difficult to do; a history of diabetes, alcoholism or excess weight may be a signal for diagnosis. Treatment and medications for steatosis can help the patient on an outpatient basis, but the doctor’s recommendations must be strictly followed. The exception is in the stages of exacerbation, then the patient will be treated inpatiently. As a rule, a person may be prescribed the following medications:

• vitamin B12;
• Essentiale;
• lipoic acid;
• anabolic steroid;
• Metronidazole (antibiotics).

The specialist may prescribe additional physiotherapeutic procedures: ultrasound, pressure chamber, ozone therapy. If all recommendations are followed conscientiously, this disease can be cured. The therapy is effective and the processes are reversed in a short time. Problems arise only when treating stage 3 disease, when the formation of connective tissue has begun at the sites of parenchyma rupture. In this case, it is only possible to relieve symptoms and prevent the development of cirrhosis.