Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis - What Exactly Is It

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is characterised by fatty liver along with inflammation and liver cell damage. The fat gets accumulated in the liver which is not caused by alcohol consumption. It is a type of NAFLD or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the other being simple fatty liver. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is a more serious condition when compared to the simple fatty liver because NASH can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Symptoms and Causes
Both the variants of NAFLD are asymptomatic. Hence, NASH does not produce any symptom which can often cause difficulty in diagnosing and detecting the disease. However, in certain rare cases, people may feel discomfort or pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. Due to the nature of the disease, the exact cause of NASH is not known and research concerning the same is still going on. However, doctors have identified certain conditions that make a person more prone to developing the disease. These conditions are:

1. Obesity or being overweight
2. High blood pressure or hypertension
3. High triglyceride level in the blood meaning you have high level of bad cholesterol and low level of good cholesterol
4. Metabolic syndrome-It is a group of medical conditions that are connected to obesity. This condition also leads to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in people.
5. Type 2 diabetes

Other causes of NASH include improper storage of fat, rapid weight loss, infections such as hepatitis C, certain medications and exposure to toxins.

Treatment
Both NASH and NAFLD have no symptoms for which their detection becomes a problem. Similarly, treatment and prevention involve following a singular measure in losing weight. People who are obese or overweight are at the highest risk of developing NASH. Therefore, doctors recommend losing at least 3 to 5 percent of weight which leads to a reduction of fat in the liver. Ideally, losing 7 or more percent is recommended over a period of one year. It should be noted that losing weight through dieting and fasting can cause more harm than good.

The best method of weight loss is by trying to eat healthy by having small portion meals throughout the day instead of eating 3 big meals in a day. Such a routine should be followed along with regular physical exercises or activities to ensure steady weight loss and a healthy body weight.

Due to the absence of any medication that might help in preventing and controlling inflammation and deposition of fat in the liver, doctors are forced to go for a liver transplant in situations where NASH has resulted in cirrhosis which in turn may cause liver failure.