A person’s liver is the most vital organ in the body, and it’s responsible for transforming food into vitamins, minerals, and proteins. It also helps detoxify the body by regulating hormones and producing bile. But sometimes your liver gets a little too full with fat something called fatty liver, which can cause a whole host of symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, or even swollen legs or ankles. Here are 13 fatty liver symptoms that might affect you as a woman:
Unexplained Weight Gain
If you find that you are gaining weight for no apparent reason, it could be because of fatty liver disease. The type of fat that is deposited in the liver can actually increase the amount of fat in other parts of your body as well. But keep in mind that it is also very possible that fatty liver is not the cause at all; so always make sure to rule out other possible causes before jumping to conclusions.
Fatigue
Fatigue is often the first symptom to appear with fatty liver disease due to the long-term lifestyle changes that frequently accompany it, such as poor diet and lack of exercise. When a woman is suffering from fatty liver disease, the liver is under a great deal of stress and strain. This can lead to blood sugar imbalances, impaired metabolic processes throughout the body, and even mood changes. Most women are not aware of these long-term effects and often attribute fatigue to stress or depression instead of fatty liver disease.
Swollen ankles
Oftentimes people are unaware of how swollen their ankles are. When this happens, it’s usually because livers are not digesting fat properly, and it’s just being stored in our tissues as fat. This can result in the appearance of swollen ankles, or even legs.
Sexual issues
Fatty liver can have a negative effect on our sex lives. If you’re having a hard time getting in the mood for sex, this could be attributed to fatty liver symptoms. It might also cause you to have an irregular cycle or no period at all!
Stomach pain
Most people experience mild stomach aches throughout their lives, but if you only experience them now and then or it’s only when you eat particular foods, it’s usually nothing to worry about. However, if you have chronic stomach pains that get worse as the day goes on and interferes with your daily routine and activities, you may want to see your doctor. In some cases, fatty liver disease can lead to severe stomach pain which may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
Urinary Tract Problems
In some women, the urinary tract may become blocked up, causing a lot of pain and discomfort. Symptoms usually occur in women who are at least 30-years-old or have had multiple pregnancies, but some people may be experiencing this as well as a fatty liver condition or another kidney issue that needs to be addressed by your doctor.
Constipation
If you’re having a hard time going to the bathroom when nature calls, then it could be a sign of fatty liver disease in women. The reason this is happening is that you’ve got too much fat floating around in your body for your body to correctly process everything correctly. And to top it off, you’re also not getting much exercise. This can lead to all sorts of problems with your body and its natural functions, one of which is constipation.
Hair loss
Have you been losing hair more and more frequently over the past few months? If so, you might be dealing with fatty liver disease. The reason why this happens is because of your body’s inability to process fat properly. Normally, your body doesn’t have to process fat as much as it does when you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, but women with fatty liver syndrome still have to deal with having fat in their bodies. And no matter how badly you want a baby right now, it’s not going to happen if your body isn’t built properly yet.
Weak nails
The nails on your hands and feet contain keratin, so if you’ve noticed that they’re starting to crack or break, they could be negatively affected by your fatty liver. It might also cause them to appear thin and splintery.
Depression
Women are at an increased risk of developing depression when suffering from fatty liver disease. This is because the condition can lead to emotional instability which in turn can cause depression. Fatty liver disease is caused by chronic lifestyle changes, such as poor diet and lack of exercise, and the constant stress these changes cause on the body.
Liver damage
The progression of fatty liver disease can be rapid and lead to complications that may include cirrhosis or cirrhosis with portal hypertension. This condition can also lead to a change in mental state and personality issues as well as a reduction in cognitive skills such as problem-solving abilities, decision-making ability, memory, and focus which affects daily living.
Itchy eyes
If your eyes are very itchy lately, then this could be a sign of fatty liver disease in women. This is likely due to all of the fat that’s been building up inside of your body and has simply been making its way out into your body fluids during a normal daily routine. Your body has no problem working through the fat when you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, but once you stop having those factors in play, it just wants what it wants.
Heartburn
Heartburn is one of the most common symptoms of fatty liver disease and it’s also often mistaken for heartburn because the pain may be felt just below your breastbone or at the back of your neck. This can make you feel like you have indigestion or an upset stomach but when you have fatty liver disease, it could instead indicate that there is damage to the main organ in your body which processes food and toxins.
Conclusion
Hopefully, now that you have a better understanding of fatty liver symptoms, you can quickly spot them in your body. It’s important to keep a close eye on yourself and make sure that your symptoms don’t get out of hand. If you notice any of the fatty liver symptoms listed above, be sure to seek medical advice immediately!