Fatty liver disease is often a quiet issue that doesn’t make a lot of noise until it’s advanced, but surprisingly, it might start showing signs right on your face.
With obesity and less active lifestyles on the rise, more people are getting this condition, where too much fat is stored in the liver cells.
There are two types of this disease: one related to drinking too much alcohol (AFLD) and one that has nothing to do with alcohol (NAFLD).
Both can harm the liver in similar ways if they’re not taken care of, leading to serious problems like liver scarring, cirrhosis, or even cancer.
Because this disease tends to sneak up quietly, keeping an eye out for early signs is key to catching and managing it early.
Some researchers think that we might be able to spot signs of fatty liver disease just by looking at someone’s face. While these signs alone can’t tell you for sure that you’ve got the disease, they could be a nudge to get checked out by a doctor.
Here are a few things on the face to watch out for:
- Yellow Eyes and Skin: Jaundice, or a yellowish tint to the whites of the eyes and skin, can be a giveaway of liver problems. It happens when there’s too much bilirubin, a yellow pigment from breaking down red blood cells, because the liver can’t process it all.
- Spider Angiomas: These tiny, spider-web-like veins can pop up on the face and body and might point to liver issues caused by hormone imbalances. Though they can also appear in perfectly healthy people, a lot of them might be cause for concern.
- Puffy Eyes: Puffiness around the eyes can happen for lots of reasons, but when it’s linked to liver health, it might be because of fluid buildup or kidney problems that are related to liver disease.
- Skin Color Changes: If you notice patches of skin getting lighter or darker, it could be due to liver disease messing with your hormones and enzymes.
It’s important to take these signs with a grain of salt, though. For example, spider angiomas can show up during pregnancy because of hormone shifts, and eye puffiness can be just from allergies or not enough sleep.
In short, if you’re seeing these signs on your face, especially if they come with other worrying symptoms like feeling tired all the time, pain in your belly, or losing weight without trying, it’s time to talk to a doctor.
Catching fatty liver disease early can make a big difference, allowing for changes that might stop the disease from getting worse, like eating better and getting more exercise.
So, keeping an eye on your liver health isn’t just about watching what you eat and how much you move—it could also be as simple as looking in the mirror.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about simple habit that could give you a healthy liver, and common diabetes drug that may reverse liver inflammation.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about simple blood test that could detect your risk of fatty liver disease, and results showing this green diet may strongly lower non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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