Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
What is meant by Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) ?
NASH, a potentially dangerous kind of liver disease, appears in those who use little to no alcohol.
“Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis” is the meaning of the abbreviation. If the amount of fat in the liver exceeds 5% of its weight, a condition known as steatosis—also known as fatty liver—is diagnosed.
When a person has NASH, their liver has a large proportion of fat but is also bloated and damaged, which can result in fibrosis or scarring.
Cirrhosis, which results in long-term liver damage, could develop if this scarring is exceedingly severe.
NASH is a subtype of NAFLD, which may be the most prevalent chronic liver disease in developed countries like the United States. NAFLD may affect up to 25% of adults in the US. About 80% of this group.
Most individuals with NASH and other types of NAFLD don’t exhibit any symptoms. Those who do experience symptoms might feel exhausted or experience abdominal aches on the upper right side.
Children with NASH could go through the following:Areas of darker, discolored skin, typically on the neck or beneath the arms, weariness pain in the middle or upper right side of the belly Only after many years, when cirrhosis develops, can a doctor make the diagnosis of NASH. Anyone who has any of the following signs and symptoms ought to see a doctor:
- Behavioral changes such as slurred speech
- Disorientation quick bruising and bleeding
- Extreme itching
- Spider veins immediately beneath the skin
- Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes in certain people.
It’s important to get the right care. Cirrhosis raises the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, a frequent form of liver cancer, in those with NASH.
Although the exact origin of NASH is unknown, increasing research points to the possibility that the following factors may
- The body’s overproduction and release of cytokines, which are toxic inflammatory protein types that the body produces
- Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and antioxidants
- Apoptosis, or programmed cell death of liver cells
- Intestinal bacteria, which may cause liver inflammation, and a person’s genetic makeup
NASH is not specifically treated by medicine. The actions listed below can aid in limiting further harm: keeping a healthy weight and, if necessary, decreasing weight gradually By eating a balanced, healthy diet with little to no fructose and little, if any, processed food; taking regular exercise; limiting or abstaining from alcohol; managing blood cholesterol levels; and, for those with diabetes, managing their condition. If cirrhosis is present in addition to NASH, treatment options may include medication and/or surgery.
