Symptoms of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Liver disease manifests by many symptoms, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is not different from any liver disease in its general symptoms. They include:
- Abdominal pain: Abdominal pain of hepatitis can be severe, but the chronic nature of fatty liver disease can make it dull or mild. It is usually felt at the upper-middle or upper right abdomen and increases on consuming fatty meals. It is also tender and pressing on that part of the abdomen can illicit severe pain.
- Nausea and vomiting: Nausea and vomiting are one of the commonest symptoms of liver disease, but they also occur in a multitude of other conditions. It is usually not severe and are associated with the abdominal pain.
- Jaundice: Jaundice is one of the manifestations of liver disease, because the liver become unable to process bilirubin causing its accumulation in the blood. The yellow discoloration is most evident in the whites of the eyes and in some parts of the skin. If your entire skin becomes jaundiced, it can indicate that severe liver disease is present. Also, color changes of urine can occur where it becomes dark-colored due to the bilirubin being excreted through the kidneys.
- Easy bruising: There are many causes for easy bruising including liver disease. The liver is the main site for the formation of coagulation factors, which are proteins that help your body coagulate and seal the defect when the blood vessels are injured. Deficiencies of coagulation factors causes blood to flow for a longer time before the bleeding stops. This can manifest by large easily induced bruises on your arms and legs.
- Sleeplessness or oversleeping: Liver affection causes the accumulation of many toxic substances like ammonia. Normally, ammonia is detoxified to urea in the liver which is then excreted in urine. If it accumulates, it affects the brain and particularly the part responsible for our wakefulness. This can manifest by symptoms like oversleeping and a constant sensation of tiredness.
- Hand tremors: Hand tremors result for the same reason as sleepiness. They can be so severe that a person can’t hold a cup of water and sip from it.
- Abdominal and leg swelling: The liver produces a protein called albumin. Albumin is responsible for many functions from carrying drugs and minerals in blood to keeping fluids within blood vessels. When the liver is diseased and is no longer able to produce albumin, fluid transudates through the blood vessel wall and accumulates in the abdomen and the legs. This usually signifies severe liver dysfunction.
