Can people with fatty liver smoke?

Written by Wo Cheng
Hepatology
Updated on October 19, 2024
00:00
00:00

Patients with fatty liver disease should also appropriately quit smoking or reduce the frequency of smoking. The treatment for severe fatty liver disease mainly includes a reasonable diet, appropriate exercise, as well as choosing to quit smoking and drinking, controlling diet properly, increasing physical exercise, removing the cause of the disease, and actively treating the primary disease. Although smoking mainly causes damage to the lungs, nicotine in cigarettes can also damage liver cells. When people with fatty liver disease smoke excessively, it can exacerbate the condition. It also damages liver cells, so people with fatty liver disease also need to quit smoking or reduce the frequency of smoking. People with fatty liver disease should regularly monitor liver function and undergo imaging tests of the liver to timely monitor the condition and actively enhance physical exercise to control the cause of the disease.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Luo Juan
Endocrinology
1min 26sec home-news-image

How to deal with fatty liver with elevated transaminases?

First, it is necessary to determine whether the fatty liver is alcoholic or non-alcoholic. If it is non-alcoholic fatty liver with elevated transaminases, lifestyle interventions should be implemented first. Weight loss and exercise can treat fat-associated fatty liver. Generally, it is necessary to control the intake of calories and fats, especially saturated fatty acids, maintain an ideal weight, and exercise sufficiently and consistently. Similarly, if there is a significant increase in blood lipids, lipid-lowering drugs can also be used. Additionally, some liver-protective drugs can be incorporated into treatment. If it is alcoholic fatty liver, abstaining from alcohol is a key treatment, as well as appropriate nutritional support. For long-term alcoholics, since alcohol replaces the calories provided by food, there is generally an insufficient intake of protein and vitamins. Therefore, a diet high in protein and low in fat should be provided, along with appropriate vitamin supplementation, and liver-protective drugs can also be used. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
45sec home-news-image

Fatty liver MRI manifestations

Fatty liver, also known as hepatic steatosis, typically appears normal in most cases on MRI. However, a minority of cases may show high signals on T1 and T2. In fat-suppressed sequences, the high signals disappear after the fat is suppressed, appearing as low signal shadows. MRI has a specific sequence for examining fatty liver, known as the dual-echo sequence, which includes two sequences: one is the in-phase sequence and the other is called the opposed-phase sequence. The in-phase sequence examines the liver parenchyma, while a characteristic feature in the opposed-phase sequence is the significant decrease in signal in areas of fatty metamorphosis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
1min 2sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of fatty liver? Is fatty liver serious?

If you have fatty liver disease, the symptoms are essentially the same as those of chronic hepatitis B and C, which include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, aversion to oily foods, and fatigue. Additionally, patients with fatty liver disease may experience a sensation of swelling and pain in the liver area. At this point, further liver function tests such as measuring transaminase and bilirubin levels can be conducted, and performing a hepatobiliary ultrasound can definitively diagnose the condition. If the fatty liver is due to obesity, it is advisable to strictly control food intake and engage in active and reasonable exercise for weight loss, as fatty liver can be reversed. However, if the fatty liver is due to long-term excessive alcohol consumption, it is recommended to strictly quit smoking and drinking, combined with reasonable exercise and diet control, as fatty liver can also be reversed.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
48sec home-news-image

Can fatty liver be contagious?

Fatty liver has many causes, the most common being obesity, as well as alcohol; long-term excessive drinking can cause alcoholic fatty liver. Other causes include malnutrition or long-term excessive use of certain medications, including anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids, which can significantly damage the liver. Drugs used to lower blood lipids can also lead to fatty liver. Fatty liver is caused by these factors, not by an infection from a particular bacterium or virus, so it is not contagious. If you have fatty liver, it is recommended to exercise regularly under the guidance of a doctor. There are no shortcuts; only exercise can eliminate fatty liver.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
1min home-news-image

What should people with fatty liver not eat?

Patients with fatty liver should not drink alcohol or eat greasy, rich, and heavy foods such as fatty meats and fried foods, nor should they consume animal organs. They should eat more fruits and vegetables and more coarse grains. At the same time, they should increase physical activity, as exercise can promote the metabolism of fats and has a positive effect for patients with fatty liver. Additionally, patients with fatty liver should not overwork or stay up late, as fatigue and lack of sleep can damage liver cells, leading to an increase in transaminase levels. This is especially detrimental for patients with fatty liver, as they are more susceptible to liver cell damage. Moreover, excessive anxiety or being prone to anger can also harm the liver, and is harmful to patients with fatty liver; thus, it is important to maintain a relaxed mood.