Yes. Fatty liver is becoming increasingly common especially in Kerala, mostly due to changes in our diet patterns. We are now seeing fatty liver even in school children and very young adults. It is also very common in diabetics.

The commonest cause of fatty liver in Kerala is still alcohol. Fatty liver is said to be the first stage of liver damage due to alcohol. This later leads on to alcohol induced cirrhosis. But, now a days we are seeing a lot of fatty liver cases among people who are not alcoholics and in those who consume small amounts of alcohol. The commonest cause for this is faulty lifestyle. Obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol levels and lack of physical activity are the main culprits leading on to fatty liver. Other genetic causes of liver disease and hepatitis C virus infection can also present as fatty liver disease.

Unfortunately fatty liver per se has no symptoms. Some patients have a mild dragging sensation in the upper right side of their abdomen due to the drag of a heavy liver. Once fatty liver progresses on to cirrhosis the patients develop symptoms like swelling of the legs or abdomen, jaundice, vomiting of blood, altered level of consciousness etc. But by the time these symptoms develop, the liver disease would have become very advanced.

Fatty liver progresses in only a minority of patients but if it progresses it leads on to cirrhosis and all its complications including vomiting of blood, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, liver related coma or even liver cancer rarely.

The only treatment which had been consistently proven to change the course of fatty liver is lifestyle modifications, mainly regular exercises, low fat diet and weight reduction . Whatever other treatment given for fatty liver would be incomplete without these interventions. Whenever there is an abnormality in liver function tests as part of fatty liver, your doctor might prescribe medicines to correct those abnormalities.

To a great extent fatty liver is a preventable lifestyle disease. The main preventive measures is a healthy lifestyle especially to stop alcohol use, do regular exercises, which should be done even if you are not obese, since fatty liver can occur in non obese persons also. Reducing the carbohydrates and fat in your diet also goes a long way in keeping you healthy. A healthy liver is a must for a healthy life and let is take care of our liver through a healthy lifestyle.