Symptoms and treatment of hepatic steatosis. Diffuse and focal liver steatosis - what is it? Signs and treatment of the disease Fatty liver steatosis treatment


Steatosis is a term that combines a number of disorders at once, accompanied by the deposition of fat inside hepatocytes (functional liver cells). A similar pathology is diagnosed in different groups of the population, including children. Why does hepatic steatosis occur, what is it and what are its symptoms? Many people are interested in these questions.

what is it and what are its causes?

In fact, there are many factors that lead to the accumulation of fatty inclusions in the liver. It is immediately worth noting that quite often such a pathology occurs in people who abuse alcohol and drugs. In some cases, the disease can be caused by poisoning with hazardous substances or drugs.

Steatosis indicates a violation of the normal metabolism of fats, so this disease is often associated with malnutrition and obesity. By the way, starvation and constant strict diets can also lead to fatty degeneration of the liver.

Sometimes this pathology is secondary and develops against the background of other diseases. In particular, risk factors include myxedema, diabetes mellitus, and adrenal disorders, since hormonal imbalances also affect metabolism.

Forms of liver steatosis

In modern medicine, several varieties of the disease are distinguished. Steatosis can be either diffuse (fatty inclusions are evenly distributed throughout all liver tissues) or focal (there is one fatty spot that increases in size over time).

In addition, there are several stages of fatty infiltration - by the way, the main signs of liver steatosis depend on this. At the initial stages, it does not harm hepatocytes. As the disease progresses, gradual necrosis of the functional tissues of the organ begins. This is followed by the pre-cirrhotic stage, in which not only the cells, but also the lobules of the liver change - such violations are already irreversible.

What are the symptoms of the disease?

Answering the question: "Liver steatosis - what is it?", First of all, it should be noted that this disease develops gradually, and its initial stages are rarely accompanied by any symptoms. Early steatosis in most cases is found during the abdominal organs.

The main symptoms most often appear already when fatty inclusions have filled most of the liver. Patients complain of heaviness and soreness in the right hypochondrium, which appears during physical activity. Some disorders of the digestive system are also observed - patients feel nausea. In some cases, pain appears after eating.

How to treat hepatic steatosis?

We have already figured out what it is, now let's talk about therapy. Of course, in the initial stages, the disease can still be cured. Even in the presence of irreversible changes, properly selected therapy will help prevent the occurrence of further complications. Therefore, in no case should you self-medicate and ignore the help of doctors!

In this case, it is very important to determine the cause of fatty infiltration. If steatosis is the result of alcoholism, then, of course, it is necessary to abandon such a bad habit. Also, the patient is prescribed the intake of lipotropic substances, in particular, the drug "Essentiale", as well as methionine, vitamin B12 and other drugs.

Diet for liver steatosis is also an important part of therapy. Proper nutrition will help reduce the amount of fat consumed without harming the body. Smoked meats, fatty and fried foods, mushrooms, legumes, coffee and alcoholic beverages should be excluded from the diet. Instead, easily digestible proteins should be included in the menu.

Steatosis (fatty degeneration of the liver, fatty hepatosis) is a liver disease in which focal or diffuse (scattered) fat deposition occurs in its cells (hepatocytes).

Stages and symptoms

Liver steatosis is a rather insidious disease, since it does not manifest itself for a long time. In particular, at its first stage, when fatty inclusions are just beginning to be deposited in the liver, without violating the integrity of its hepatocyte cells, there are no symptoms of the disease.

The second stage of the disease is characterized by fatty degeneration of a significant part of the liver, blotches of fat increase in size, merge with each other, forming cysts, resulting in the death (necrosis) of the liver's own cells. In this case, a person begins to feel the following symptoms of steatosis:

  • weakness
  • intermittent or persistent nausea
  • heaviness in the right hypochondrium
  • pain on palpation (palpation) of the right hypochondrium
  • bloating
  • intolerance to fatty and fried foods
  • due to enlargement of the liver, there is a feeling of squeezing of the internal organs
  • occasional unexplained pain in the liver.

The third stage of steatosis, which is also called pre-cirrhosis, is characterized by the destruction of the liver. The structural integrity of the liver is impaired due to the growth of connective tissue, which replaces the liver's own parenchyma (tissue). The organ increases in size, the outflow of bile is disturbed.

Symptoms of steatosis in its third stage:

  • yellow sclera of the eyes
  • yellow skin tone
  • nausea, often turning into vomiting
  • rashes appear on the skin, it itches and itches.

In addition, as a result of a decrease in immunity, patients often experience an indirect symptom of liver steatosis, namely frequent colds.

Causes of occurrence and development

A small proportion of fat (approximately 5%) is found in the liver of any healthy person. We can talk about possible steatosis when the mass fraction of fat in the liver is more than 10%. In some advanced cases, the fat content reaches 50-60%.

Factors leading to the occurrence and development of hepatic steatosis:

1. Toxic effect on the liver:

  • excessive alcohol consumption. Information about the toxic effects of alcohol has long been no secret. At the same time, the more alcohol enters the body, the more clearly observed fatty degeneration of the liver, which is called alcoholic steatosis.
  • long-term use of certain medications, in particular corticosteroids, cytostatics, tetracycline antibiotics, tuberculostatic and anticancer drugs

2. Metabolic disorders:

  • type 2 diabetes
  • thyroid pathology
  • Itsenko-Cushing's syndrome (a disease in which an excessive amount of hormones of the adrenal glands are produced)

3. Imbalance in nutrition:

  • excessive consumption of food rich in fats and carbohydrates. Such food overloads the liver, it is not able to remove a huge amount of fat and therefore deposits some of them in the liver cells.
  • chronic pancreatitis, ulcerative colitis. Every third patient with pancreatitis and colitis also develops fatty degeneration of the liver.
  • unbalanced diet, deficiency of proteins, vitamins, minerals
  • chronic malnutrition

4. Hypoxia (acid starvation of body tissues) - in some cases, symptoms of steatosis are observed in people suffering from pulmonary diseases, as well as cardiovascular insufficiency.

Liver steatosis is diagnosed in people of different age categories, even in children, but, nevertheless, most often the disease occurs in people (mainly women) who are obese, in men who abuse alcohol, and in older people with diabetes mellitus.

Diagnosis and treatment. Diet.

Due to insufficiently expressed symptoms, hepatic steatosis is often diagnosed by chance or during the next routine examination.

The whole complex of diagnostic measures includes:

  1. A biochemical blood test that allows you to identify all the necessary indicators of the state of the liver and prescribe the correct treatment for liver steatosis. Among these indicators: bilirubin, cholesterol, the level of increase in enzymes (proteins) AST and ALT and others.
  2. Ultrasound examination of the liver, spleen, gallbladder. At the first stage of the disease, a clear clinical symptom of steatosis is a slight increase in the liver. With the further development of the pathology, the spleen also increases. In addition, with the help of ultrasound, the echogenicity of the liver, as well as the presence of fatty cysts, is determined.
  3. Laparoscopy is an endoscopic examination of the liver and other organs of the abdominal cavity.
  4. Computed and magnetic resonance imaging. This examination helps to determine the density of liver tissue.
  5. A liver biopsy is a microscopic examination of a piece of liver tissue in order to detect fatty inclusions or connective tissue.

Treatment begins with the elimination of the cause of the disease. Most cases of non-alcoholic steatosis occur in the presence of excess body weight. For this reason, the treatment of non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis should begin with a properly selected low-calorie diet.

A minimum of fats (in particular, fats of animal origin), a minimum of carbohydrates (in particular, the so-called "empty" carbohydrates), a reasonable maximum of proteins - the main principle of the diet for steatosis. The use of polyunsaturated fats, which are found in fish and nuts, is allowed. In addition, it is important to consume fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A.

In the diet of a patient with steatosis, there should be no fried, fatty, rich foods, legumes, mushrooms, smoked meats, coffee, carbonated drinks and other foods high in fat and carbohydrates.

Physical activity (swimming, running, gymnastics) is recommended as an adjunct treatment for obese people and diabetic patients. Therapy for steatosis in obese insulin-dependent people also includes taking drugs from the biguanide class, such as Metformin.

Drug treatment is selected for each patient separately based on the results of the diagnosis and includes means to improve fat metabolism (folic and lipoic acid, vitamin B12, choline chloride), as well as hepatoprotectors (Karsil, Essentiale,

Liver steatosis (fatty degeneration, fatty hepatosis) is one of the many variants of impaired metabolism, in which the metabolism of fats suffers primarily. It has been established that such changes can be an independent pathology or a symptom of other diseases.

Judging by the statistics, it is more often found in people over 45 years old, mainly in women. Nowadays, liver steatosis is diagnosed in ¼ of the population of developed countries. Up to 11% progresses to a more severe disease - non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and 1/10 develops cirrhosis of the liver.

It is very important to identify changes and treat steatosis in the early stages, when it is possible to achieve complete recovery of the organ with the help of treatment.

Causes

The causes of steatosis are associated with the influence on the processes of absorption, accumulation and utilization of fats.

If too much is taken in in the diet and the liver does not have enough enzymes to break it down, excess deposition occurs with tissue damage. This is the problem of alimentary obesity. However, prolonged fasting, the use of unbalanced diets, vegetarianism cause a lack of protein intake and also increase the accumulation of fat.

Disturbed metabolism can occur as a result of the disease and without excess dietary fat. This option is typical for diabetes mellitus, decreased thyroid function.

All processes that affect hepatocytes (liver cells) are able to change their function in processing fats, which also leads to their delay. Cells are especially severely damaged when exposed to toxic toxic substances (aniline dyes, denatured alcohol, alcohol, drugs). Hepatic steatosis manifests symptoms with increased sensitivity of some patients to drugs: tetracycline antibiotics, corticosteroids, anti-tuberculosis drugs, cytostatics, antiarrhythmic drugs.

Deterioration of fat absorption can occur with intestinal lesions, dysbacteriosis, frequent diarrhea (chronic pancreatitis, ulcerative colitis, conditions after surgical interventions).

Cardiopulmonary insufficiency, as a stage of decompensation of heart diseases, contributes to the stagnation of venous blood and disrupts fat metabolism.

Risk factors for the occurrence of fatty degeneration are: hereditary predisposition, overweight, female sex.

What happens in the liver

Liver steatosis traps fat inside cells in the form of vesicles (vesicles) in many ways. They can be small or large. Perhaps these are stages of the same process. Inside the vesicles are triglycerides, while cholesterol metabolism is disturbed.

According to the type of prevalence of vesicles, 2 types of steatosis are distinguished:

  • focal - separate areas are noted in lobes;
  • diffuse - fatty spots evenly affect the entire tissue of the organ.

The accumulation of fats leads to an increase in bubbles, compression of other cell structures and subsequent necrosis. The fusion of large vesicles causes the formation of cysts with a dense sheath of connective tissue. The liver increases in size. The color changes to yellowish-red, spotty.

The stages of development of the pathological condition are divided into:

  • deposition of fat in the form of vesicles without damaging hepatocytes;
  • violation of the structure and function of cells with the formation of cysts, areas of necrosis;
  • precirrhosis - proliferation of connective tissue.

Clinical classification

Liver steatosis is accepted, taking into account etiological factors, divided into: alcoholic liver steatosis and non-alcoholic.

Alcoholic steatosis is caused by prolonged drinking. Microvesicular changes are known after acute alcohol poisoning. The severity of dystrophy depends on the dose of alcohol taken. At the stage of steatosis, it is possible to normalize all changes within a month, prevent and prevent the development of cirrhosis, irreversible cell damage.

Non-alcoholic types of steatosis are caused by all the other causes listed above. With this form, it is not always possible to improve the state of metabolism by stopping the pathological effect. The mechanism is much more complicated and treatment requires a long period of time.

Symptoms

Liver steatosis can be asymptomatic for a long time. Signs are detected during a preventive examination, if you purposefully ask a person.

The state of the liver is paid attention to with frequent colds. One of the first to suffer is the protective function, there is a lack of immune cells.

The patient notes that unmotivated weakness, heaviness in the hypochondrium on the right, and nausea are often manifested.

With chronic alcoholism and the toxic effect of drugs, more pronounced symptoms of steatosis are: yellowness of the skin and sclera, skin itching, pain in the hypochondrium, dizziness, abdominal enlargement, vomiting with bile.

Diagnostic features

Laboratory data are clearly manifested in the alcoholic form:

  • in the general blood test, leukocytosis, a decrease in hemoglobin and red blood cells;
  • increase in biochemical liver tests, bilirubin.

Ultrasound does not show fatty deposits, only if the cysts reach large sizes.

An important role in the diagnosis is played by magnetic resonance imaging and the study of liver punctate by histological methods.

Therapy

All therapeutic measures for steatosis are aimed at stopping the intake of fats with food, restoring metabolic processes in hepatocytes. It is strictly forbidden to take all types of alcohol and toxic drugs.

The diet for liver steatosis (table No. 5) limits animal fats, but contains a sufficient amount of energy substances and plastic material for cells.

All spicy fatty meat products, sausages, canned food and pickles, butter, culinary products, sugar are limited.

It is proposed to use more cereals, vegetables, fruits, low-fat fish, dairy products (kefir, cottage cheese), rosehip broth instead of strong coffee.

The diet for liver steatosis is used for a long time, it allows not only to treat the liver, but also to reduce weight, improve well-being and laboratory parameters.

Medicines are prescribed for long courses (up to a year). They necessarily include drugs that normalize fat metabolism, vitamins, anabolic hormones, immunocorrectors.

The use of folk remedies

Treatment with folk remedies for steatosis is not complete without herbal decoctions of milk thistle seeds, dandelion roots, corn stigmas, nettle and birch leaves. A tablespoon of the ingredients are poured into a half-liter thermos and poured with boiling water. Leave for at least two hours. Drink a glass before meals twice a day.

Combinations of honey therapy:

  • take a mixture of dandelion flowers and honey (a teaspoon three times a day);
  • for two weeks, insist honey in an empty pumpkin, then also use it for treatment.

When, for some reason, which we will tell you about below, metabolism in the liver cells is disturbed, fatty degeneration, or liver steatosis, begins. Liver cells begin to accumulate fat, so the second name for this disease is fatty liver.

Causes

  • First, it is excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.
  • Addiction to drugs.
  • All kinds of intoxications.
  • Starvation or malnutrition.
  • Swelling of the liver tissue.
  • Elevated blood glucose, or diabetes.
  • Violation of the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Elevated levels of hormones of the adrenal cortex, or Cushing's syndrome.

Kinds

diffuse steatosis

Basically, with this disease, fats are concentrated in the 2nd and 3rd lobes of the liver. But when they spread throughout the liver, i.e. diffusely, we are talking about a severe form of steatosis - diffuse steatosis.

When fat cells begin to grow uncontrollably, the liver enlarges and changes color. Liver cells die, adipose tissue becomes more and more. As a result, fatty cysts form on the body of the liver.

Symptoms of fatty steatosis usually do not give. In rare cases, heaviness is felt in the right hypochondrium, the patient experiences weakness, fatigue and nausea. If the disease begins to progress, it can transform into fibrosis, less often - cirrhosis.

From the name of this type of steatosis, it is obvious that the root cause of its occurrence is the use of alcoholic beverages. The rate of change in liver cells depends on the amount and frequency of use.

Changes in the organ caused by this type of steatosis are reversible. Liver cells are restored a month after the complete rejection of alcohol. If a person continues to regularly abuse alcoholic beverages, the progression of the disease is inevitable and fraught with serious problems.

Non-alcoholic steatosis

Non-alcoholic fatty disease, infiltration or fatty degeneration are all names for this type of steatosis. In other words, this is the initial stage of the disease, and if you do not intervene in its course, then the development of steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and even cirrhosis of the liver is not excluded.

Causes of non-alcoholic steatosis include:

  1. Obesity.
  2. Diabetes mellitus of the second type.
  3. Sharp weight loss.
  4. Nutrition through intravenous injections.
  5. High levels of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.
  6. Medications.

This is nothing more than the formation of benign tumors in the liver. There may be one or more of them and they are localized in several hepatic lobes.

Treatment with folk remedies

  • Apricot kernels contain vitamin B15, which is necessary for this problem. Therefore, folk healers recommend eating five to seven apricot kernels daily.

  • In the morning, pour bran with hot water and leave to swell. Drain excess water from the bran and eat two tablespoons shortly before meals three times a day.
  • Take a small pumpkin, wash and dry it. Cut off the top and take out the seeds. Fill the pumpkin with honey, cover with a pumpkin lid, and refrigerate for three weeks. After the allotted time, take out the pumpkin and, removing the lid, pour the honey infused on the pumpkin into a glass jar, which should be taken three times a day, one spoonful.

  • Grind dry corn stigmas and pour two tablespoons into half a liter of boiling water and do not remove from heat for five minutes. Cool and strain. Drink a decoction of fifty ml three times a day.
  • Every morning, thirty minutes before breakfast, it is recommended to drink a milk-carrot cocktail. For him, mix one hundred ml of freshly squeezed carrot juice with one hundred ml of warmed milk.
  • In the spring, when the glades are covered with yellow dandelions, pick three hundred and fifty flowers, without stems, rinse and dry and grind them to a state of gruel in any way available to you. Transfer to a glass dish and add one kilogram of liquid honey. Mix everything thoroughly, store in the refrigerator. Dandelion honey should be consumed by adding it one spoon at a time to a cup of tea or just eat one spoon at a time before meals.

  • Rosehip infusion is very beneficial for liver health. To prepare it, pour one spoonful of berries into a glass of boiling water and leave for two hours. Drink a decoction of half a glass a quarter of an hour before each meal.
  • In the same way, you can prepare and take infusions from rowan berries, barberries and hop cones.
  • An infusion of the following herbal collection perfectly cleanses the liver: rowan berries, rosehips and barberries, celandine herbs and white yasnitok. Grind everything, mix and pour one spoon of the mixture with half a liter of boiling water. After three hours, strain and drink half a glass shortly before each meal.
  • Prepare an infusion of two tablespoons of dry immortelle, pouring a glass of boiling water. Put on a steam bath for ten minutes. Strain after cooling, top up to the original volume of boiled water. Take a third of a glass warmed shortly before each meal.

  • St. John's wort will require one tablespoon of dry grass. Pour a glass of boiling water and boil for five minutes over low heat. After an hour, strain and add water to a volume of one glass. Divide into three equal parts and drink a day before each meal.
  • Take equal parts milk thistle seeds and finely chopped dandelion roots. Mix thoroughly and separate one tablespoon of the mixture. Add to it a spoonful of dry birch leaves, nettle and goldenrod. Pour everything into a thermos, pour half a liter of boiling water and leave for half an hour. Take strained twice a day for two hundred ml.

All fees, the composition of which we will give below, are prepared and used in the same way, namely, two tablespoons of crushed raw materials must be poured with one liter of boiling water and boiled under the lid for ten minutes. Then, immediately after removing from the stove, pour all the contents into a thermos and leave to infuse for ten hours. Take half a glass of herbal infusion half an hour before breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you don't like the taste, you can add honey or sugar.

It will take a long time to prepare and consume herbal infusions, four months daily. After a two-week break, repeat the treatment course. Several courses during the year will give a guaranteed result.

If you are preparing a decoction for a child, halve the amount of raw materials.

  1. Rosehip - 3 parts.
  2. Corn stigmas and columns - 3 parts.
  3. Horsetail - 3 parts.
  4. Immortelle flowers - 4 parts.
  5. Strawberry leaf - 2 parts.
  6. Chamomile - 2 parts.
  7. Birch leaf - 1 part.
  8. Sushenitsa - 1 part.
  9. Dill seed - 1 part
  10. Calendula - 1 part.

  1. Volodushka - 4 parts.
  2. Nettle - 4 parts.
  3. Birch buds - 4 parts.
  4. Calendula - 2 parts.
  5. Mint - 2 parts.
  6. Dill seed - 2 parts.
  7. Plantain - 2 parts.
  8. Geranium grass - 3 parts.

Phytocollection 3

  1. Primrose roots - 1 part
  2. Lungwort - 1 part.
  3. Violet grass - 1 part.
  4. Mullein color - 1 part.
  5. Plantain - 2 parts.
  6. Series - 2 parts
  7. Raspberry leaf - 2 parts.
  8. Birch buds - 1 part.
  9. Nettle - 2 parts.
  10. Dill seeds - 1 part.
  11. Meadowsweet flowers - 2 parts.
  1. Birch buds - 2 parts.
  2. Nettle - 2 parts.
  3. Raspberry leaves - 3 parts.
  4. Lungwort - 2 parts.
  5. Sweet clover - 2 parts.
  6. Chernogolovka - 2 parts.
  7. Dill seeds - 1 part.
  8. Licorice root - 3 parts.
  9. Aralia root - 1 part.
  10. Skullcap root - 1 part.
  11. Motherwort - 3 parts.
  12. Kakali - 1 part.
  13. Volodushka - 2 parts.
  14. Calendula - 2 parts.
  15. Mint - 1 part.
  16. Tansy flowers - 2 parts.
  17. Celandine - 1 part.

  1. Saussurea grass - 2 parts.
  2. Volodushka - 3 parts.
  3. Scutellaria roots - 3 parts.
  4. Chicory roots - 4 parts.
  5. Dandelion roots - 4 parts.
  6. Maryin root - 3 parts.
  7. Licorice roots - 5 parts.
  8. Aralia roots - 2 parts.
  9. Horsetail - 2 parts.
  10. Juniper berries - 1 part.
  11. Althea roots - 3 parts.
  12. Meadowsweet, flowers - 3 parts.
  13. Flaxseed - 1 part.
  14. Calendula - 2 parts.
  15. Oregano - 1 part.

  1. Raspberry leaf - 5 parts.
  2. Licorice, root - 3 parts.
  3. Sporish - 2 parts.
  4. Line - 2 parts.
  5. Meadowsweet flowers - 2 parts.
  6. Volodushka - 2 parts.
  7. Yarrow - 2 parts.
  8. Chamomile - 2 parts.
  9. Calendula - 2 parts.
  10. Mint - 1 part.
  11. Violet - 1 part

  1. Dandelion roots - 2 parts.
  2. Rose hips - 2 parts.
  3. Hawthorn berries - 2 parts.
  4. Elecampane roots - 2 parts.
  5. Chicory roots - 2 parts.
  6. Goldenrod - 1 part.
  7. Tansy - 1 part.
  8. Motherwort - 1 part.
  9. Celandine - 1 part.
  10. Volodushka - 1 part.
  11. Yarrow - 1 part.
  12. Calendula - 1 part.
  13. Mint - 1 part.
  14. Licorice roots - 3 parts.

  1. Dill seed - 1 part.
  2. Coriander seed - 1 part.
  3. Fireweed - 3 parts.
  4. Chamomile - 2 parts.
  5. Hop cones - 2 parts.
  6. Oregano - 2 parts.
  7. Nettle - 2 parts.
  8. Mint - 2 parts.
  9. Meadowsweet flowers - 2 parts.
  10. Calamus roots - 2 parts.
  11. Cyanosis - 1 part.

  1. Calendula - 2 parts.
  2. Goldenrod - 3 parts.
  3. Celandine - 1 part.
  4. Dill seed - 2 parts.
  5. Leuzea roots - 4 parts.
  6. Elecampane roots - 4 parts.
  7. Gentian - 4 parts.
  8. Calamus roots - 3 parts.
  9. Mint - 4 parts.
  10. Birch buds - 2 parts.
  11. Motherwort - 2 parts.
  12. Dandelion roots - 2 parts.
  13. Wheatgrass roots - 2 parts.

  • Milk and vegetable soups.
  • Boiled meat of beef, chicken, turkey, lean lamb.
  • Boiled or baked lean fish.
  • Bread made from rye flour.
  • Vegetable and butter.
  • Protein omelets.
  • Milk and kefir are low in fat. Cottage cheese, cheese, sour cream.
  • Kashi - buckwheat and oatmeal. Durum wheat pasta.
  • Boiled vegetables, salads and vinaigrettes from them. Sauerkraut.
  • All fruits and berries are fresh and dried.
  • Juices fruit, vegetable, berry. Tea, coffee with cream or milk.
  • Spicy, smoked and fried foods should be completely excluded from the diet. Forget about alcohol forever!

Stages of liver steatosis

Video - Liver steatosis treatment with folk remedies

Liver steatosis combines several pathological processes that result in the appearance of fatty inclusions in the liver tissues.

This pathology is focal and diffuse. With focal steatosis, crowded fat deposits are observed, and with diffuse steatosis, fat is located over the entire surface of the organ.

Steatosis occurs regardless of age, but is most often diagnosed after 45 years, when various negative factors have been affecting the body for quite a long time. Non-alcoholic steatosis predominantly affects women, usually due to obesity. Men who abuse alcohol are more likely to develop alcoholic steatosis.

ICD-10 code

Liver diseases, including hepatic steatosis, are located in ICD 10 under K70-K77.

ICD-10 code

K70 Alcoholic liver disease

K76.0 Fatty liver, not elsewhere classified

Causes of liver steatosis

Liver steatosis occurs due to metabolic disorders in diabetes mellitus, obesity, etc. Also, steatosis can be associated with diseases of the digestive system, resulting in impaired absorption of nutrients, as well as malnutrition (frequent diets, regular overeating).

Alcohol and drugs have a strong toxic effect on the liver, which can also cause steatosis.

Fatty liver poisoning not due to alcohol abuse is called non-alcoholic steatosis, a similar pathology often affects overweight people.

Steatosis is most susceptible to women, overweight people over 45 years of age, with type 2 diabetes, as well as in the case of a hereditary predisposition.

Symptoms of hepatic steatosis

Liver steatosis, in the initial stages, is almost asymptomatic, often the disease has a chronic form. Steatosis may not manifest itself for a long time, and a person learns about the disease after a medical examination.

Among the main symptoms of the disease, one can single out weakness, nausea, pain in the right hypochondrium, an enlarged liver, decreased immunity (as a result, a person is prone to frequent viral infections).

With steatosis, the outflow of bile is disturbed, stagnation of bile may occur, while the skin becomes yellowish, itching, pain, nausea, and vomiting appear.

Steatosis of the liver and pancreas

Steatosis of the liver and pancreas is characterized by the replacement of healthy cells with fat. In the early stages of the disease, there are practically no symptoms, however, there are several points that will help recognize the onset of the disease.

With the onset of steatosis, a person may be disturbed by frequent diarrhea, bloating, heartburn, and food allergies (which have not been observed before).

Then, after eating, girdle pain on the left under the rib, radiating to the back, may begin to disturb.

When such symptoms appear, they usually already seek medical help.

During the examination, changes in the tissues of the pancreas, metabolic disorders, and fatty layers in the pancreas are detected.

Diffuse hepatic steatosis

The diagnosis of hepatic steatosis is made if fatty deposits occupy more than 10% of the total volume of the liver. The maximum accumulation of fats occurs in the second and third hepatic lobes, with a severe course of the disease, fatty inclusions are located diffusely.

With diffuse steatosis, the liver tissue is evenly affected by fatty patches.

At the first stages of the disease, fat does not harm the liver cells, with the progression of the disease, the functional tissues of the liver gradually begin to die off, then irreversible processes occur (changes in liver cells and lobules).

Fatty steatosis of the liver

Fatty steatosis of the liver leads to an increase in the organ, changes the color of the liver to yellowish or dark red. Due to damage to the liver by fat, the cells of the organ die, fatty cysts form in the organ, connective tissue begins to grow.

Often, fatty steatosis occurs without visible symptoms, in most cases the disease is detected during an ultrasound examination.

Progression of fatty steatosis is observed quite rarely. If steatosis occurs together with inflammation of the liver, then 10% of patients may develop cirrhosis, in 1/3 - the connective tissue in the organ grows and thickens.

Alcoholic liver steatosis

Alcoholic liver steatosis is caused by chronic alcohol intoxication and leads to initial changes in the structure of the liver.

The disease can occur for several reasons, the most common is alcohol abuse, while the more and more often a person drinks, the faster and more severe the pathological process in the liver.

Such manifestations of steatosis are usually reversible and decrease within a month after a person stops drinking.

But, despite this, alcoholic liver steatosis progresses and leads to serious damage to the organ. According to clinical studies, the threat of developing chronic liver diseases is associated with steatosis.

Non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis

Non-alcoholic liver steatosis occurs due to an excess of fatty inclusions in the organ. This form of steatosis is also called fatty disease, fatty degeneration, infiltration.

If this pathology is not treated, then in 10% of patients the risk of developing fibrosis or cirrhosis further increases, and in 14% inflammatory processes in the liver begin.

Non-alcoholic liver steatosis is formed mainly in type 2 diabetes mellitus, rapid weight loss, obesity, intravenous administration of nutrients to the body, impaired intestinal microflora, as a result of drug treatment (anticancer, corticosteroids, antiarrhythmics, etc.).

Focal hepatic steatosis

Focal hepatic steatosis indicates a benign lesion in the organ. Diagnosis of these pathologies is carried out using instrumental examination, most often focal steatosis is detected by ultrasound.

Formations can be detected both in one and in two lobes of the liver.

Diagnosis of liver steatosis

Liver steatosis is diagnosed on the basis of clinical data, laboratory tests.

Also, for the diagnosis of steatosis, radionuclide scanning, ultrasound, laparoscopic examination of internal organs are used.

The diagnosis of steatosis is made after an aspiration biopsy, which allows examination of liver tissue.

Steatosis of the liver 1 degree

Hepatic steatosis of the first degree is characterized by accumulations of fatty inclusions in the liver cells, while the structure of the cells is not disturbed.

Steatosis of the liver 2 degrees

Hepatic steatosis of the second degree is characterized by irreversible changes in the liver cells, multiple fatty cysts appear in the liver tissues.

Moderate hepatic steatosis

Moderate hepatic steatosis is characterized by the accumulation of neutral fats in liver cells in small amounts, which does not lead to irreversible processes and does not destroy the cell structure.

Treatment of hepatic steatosis

Liver steatosis is a rather serious disease, the treatment of which should be based on reducing the causes of the pathological process in the liver. During treatment, the patient should not be physically or mentally overtired. In remission, slight physical activity will help reduce dystrophic changes in the liver.

Nutrition during treatment is an important point, since it is the diet that helps to reduce the load on the liver, restore the functioning of the organ, and improve the patient's overall well-being. In addition, medications are used (lipoic acid, lipotropes, hepatoprotectors). At the discretion of the specialist, folic acid or anabolic steroids may be prescribed.

Treatment of liver steatosis with drugs

Liver steatosis is a pathology that develops for various reasons, in connection with this, drug treatment is prescribed in each individual case, taking into account the patient's condition, the degree of organ damage, and examination data.

Drugs are prescribed to improve fat metabolism (vitamin B4, B12, lipoic or folic acids).

As part of complex therapy, hepatoprotectors are prescribed (Karsil, Essentiale, Heptral, etc.).

With alcoholic liver steatosis, the treatment is based on the absolute refusal of alcohol, after which you can take medications.

At the first stage of the disease, the treatment shows good results; usually, during the treatment, the function of the liver is completely restored, and fatty inclusions disappear.

At the second stage of the disease, when all the prescriptions prescribed by the doctor are fulfilled, the therapy also shows good results.

Steatosis of the liver of the third stage is characterized by the most severe damage to the organ, in this case, irreversible processes are already beginning. Treatment in this case is based on preventing further decay of liver cells.

Treatment of liver steatosis folk remedies

Liver steatosis can be treated with traditional medicine (primary or auxiliary treatment).

The use of bran steamed with boiling water will help the liver get rid of fatty inclusions (during the day it is tedious to eat 2 tablespoons of bran).

You can improve blood flow in the liver with a decoction of corn stigmas, calendula, dandelion roots.

Treatment of liver steatosis with herbs

Liver steatosis in the initial stages is successfully treated at home with the help of herbs.

To prepare the herbal collection, you will need to take 2 tbsp. calendula, 2 tbsp. goldenrod, 1 tbsp. celandine herbs, 2 tbsp. elecampane, 4 tbsp. leuzea root

or 4 tbsp. elecampane, 4 tbsp. gentian, 3 tbsp. calamus, 4 tbsp. mint, 2 tbsp. birch buds, 2 tbsp. motherwort, 2 tbsp. dandelion roots, 2 tbsp. wheatgrass root.

2 tbsp herbal collection (mix all the ingredients and grind in a meat grinder or coffee grinder), pour a liter of boiling water, put on the stove and bring to a boil. Then simmer the broth for 10 minutes on low heat under a closed lid. Pour the resulting broth into a thermos and leave for at least 12 hours.

Take a decoction of half a cup half an hour before meals, you can add honey, sugar, jam to improve the taste.

Drink the decoction should be at least three to four months, then take a break for two weeks and repeat the treatment.

Liver steatosis can be treated with herbs for more than one year, and simultaneous medication is also allowed.

Improvement in the background of herbal treatment usually occurs after a month of regular use, but stable results can only be achieved after a long and systematic course of treatment (a year or more).

Nutrition for liver steatosis

Liver steatosis arises from metabolic disorders, so nutrition is of particular importance during treatment. With steatosis, it is recommended to eat more foods rich in vitamins and with a limited content of fats.

It is best to give preference to cereals (oatmeal, buckwheat), lactic acid products (cottage cheese). If you are obese, you should limit your intake of carbohydrates.

Diet for liver steatosis

Liver steatosis is associated with the accumulation of fat in the body, so a low-fat diet is an important part of treatment.

During treatment, it is better to consume fermented milk and vegetable products, as well as products containing easily digestible protein.

The diet may include fresh vegetables, cottage cheese, berries, fruits, whole grain cereals, bran, a small amount of vegetable oil.

With steatosis, it is necessary to abandon fresh pastries, fried pies, donuts, etc., fatty meats and fish, broths, okroshka, borscht, salty, sour, smoked foods (especially exclude fast foods and carbonated drinks).

Also, you can not eat fried or hard-boiled eggs, strong tea, coffee, garlic, onions, radishes, legumes, mayonnaise.

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With alcoholic steatosis, after a few weeks of treatment, a positive effect is observed (provided that the patient absolutely refuses alcohol).

A lethal outcome in this pathology can occur with liver failure, as well as as a result of the onset of bleeding from the esophageal veins.

Liver steatosis is primarily provoked by a toxic effect on the liver due to metabolic disorders, poisoning, alcohol abuse, etc. With steatosis, excess fatty inclusions appear in the liver cells, which over time (often after several years) lead to cell rupture and the formation of fatty tissue. cysts.

Wrong lifestyle, alcohol abuse, unbalanced diet, obesity, improper treatment (or complete lack of treatment) of diseases of the digestive system or those that disrupt metabolic processes in the body - all this causes severe pathological, sometimes irreversible, processes in the liver.

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