Acute Fatty Liver Syndrome

Your liver, a football-sized organ that sits in your upper-right abdominal area, is so important to daily living that you can die without it. So anytime you have a liver problem that has turned acute (serious), it is an important concern, regardless of the reason for the liver problem (fat, alcohol, toxins, injury or medication).

Liver

• The liver works like a filter to remove any toxins or other components from your body that could prove harmful if left within your system. But your liver isn't immune to damaging effects itself, and certain medications, alcohol use, toxins, injury or excess fat ingestion can cause liver problems. If those problems are not adequately addressed, they can eventually lead to liver failure.

Fatty Liver Syndrome

• The condition known as fatty liver syndrome can be caused by many factors, including the ones just mentioned (alcohol use, medications, toxins, or excess fat in the diet), as well as injury. It is a mistake to assume it is only due to fat in the diet. But regardless of why the liver is unable to break down the fat build-up that is present, most people experience no symptoms because of it. If they do, symptoms can be as simple as fatigue, weight loss or upper abdominal pain.

Inflammation

• According to the Mayo Clinic, a small number of individuals exhibit another symptom when the liver is unable to process excess fat: inflammation. Inflammation has the potential to hinder the liver from performing effectively, which can create additional complications, like scarring of the liver.

Scarring of Liver Tissue

• Once the liver tissue has been scarred, the scar damage can also affect its ability to perform well. In cases of excessive scarring, the liver may not be able to function at all, leading to acute fatty liver syndrome---or liver failure.

Acute Fatty Liver Syndrome

• Before it reaches the acute stage, doctors will treat the reason for the fatty liver condition (if they can determine it). This could involve losing weight or medication changes, if your liver problem is due to obesity or a reaction to medication. However, once the damage to the liver reaches the acute stage, regardless of cause, bleeding can occur and even the brain can be affected (pressure to the brain can occur), according to the Mayo Clinic.

Acute Liver Failure

• Some acute liver failure causes can be addressed medically, if immediate hospitalization is sought; however, in others a liver transplant is required. When the liver fails, there is the possibility that the kidneys will fail as well, in addition to other complications like fluid build-up in the brain, increased infection risk and an inability to stop bleeding, if it occurs.