Livers are a vital organ, performing more than 500 functions for the body. These include fighting infections and processing digested food. Any problems with the liver, therefore, can be dangerous.
Also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, fatty liver disease is the name for any condition of the liver not caused by alcohol.
It is often linked to eating too much fatty food and being overweight.
In its earliest stages it often doesn’t display symptoms making it hard to catch.
However, if it progresses it can reach the fourth and most severe stage – called cirrhosis.
This is scarring of the liver caused by years of damage to the organ.
As a result it becomes lumpy and shrivelled.
If not treated, cirrhosis can lead to life-threatening conditions like liver failure and even cancer.
One sign of cirrhosis is ascites, which is the build-up of fluid in your abdomen.
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“In the later stages of cirrhosis, you may vomit blood or have tarry, black stools,” NHS Inform says.
“This is because blood can’t flow through the liver properly, which causes an increase in blood pressure in the vein that carries blood from the gut to the liver (portal vein).
“The increase in blood pressure forces blood through smaller, fragile vessels that line your stomach and gullet (varices).
“These can burst under high blood pressure, leading to internal bleeding, which is visible in vomit and/or stools.”
If you notice any symptoms of fatty liver disease you should see a GP as soon as possible.
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