Even though the early stages of fatty liver disease don’t usually cause many symptoms, as the disease gets worse, your body might start giving you warning signs.

“Paper money skin,” according to one expert, is a lesser-known symptom of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

“Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic condition caused by too much fat being stored inside the liver cells, which is not due to alcohol,” says Dr Fox Online Pharmacy’s Deborah Lee. While the early stages of NAFLD are rarely harmful, if left unchecked, it can develop into liver failure or cancer.

“It is important to note that the majority of people with NAFLD have no symptoms and are unaware they have it,” the doctor explained.

“Paper money skin,” she noted, is one indication that may not be recognized by everyone.

This symptom refers to the presence of little superficial blood vessels on your trunk and face.

These blood vessels, often known as capillaries, might be scattered and needle-thin.

They look like a fine network of red and blue silk threads interwoven in a dollar bill.

This is why the sign has a name that people will remember. Occasionally, they are also known as “dollar paper markings.”

This cutaneous symptom is often a marker of cirrhosis and indicates an underlying liver problem.

Cirrhosis is the “most severe” stage of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, in case you didn’t know.

Your liver shrinks and becomes scarred and lumpy at this stage.

The CDC warns that this damage is irreversible and can possibly lead to liver failure or cancer.

However, “paper money skin” isn’t the sole symptom of this stage of NAFLD; other signs and symptoms include:

• The skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow (jaundice)
• An itchy rash
• Legs, ankles, feet, or stomach swelling (oedema).

If you have any of these symptoms with a liver problem, the Cdc recommends seeing a doctor.

Cirrhosis, thankfully, develops after years of liver inflammation and is preceded by three phases of NAFLD.

The second and third stages, which are called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis, could also show signs.

Symptoms associated with these stages include:

• Pain in the top right corner of the stomach that is dull or agonizing (over the lower right side of the ribs)
• Extreme fatigue
• Suddenly losing weight
• Weakness.

Fortunately, the health service points out that changing one’s lifestyle can help prevent NAFLD from worsening.

“Much can be achieved by improving lifestyle factors – eating healthily, taking regular exercise, and reducing alcohol to within recommended limits,” notes Doctor Lee.

“The Mediterranean diet is recommended. This is a diet full of lean meat, fish, poultry, whole grains, unsaturated plant fats such as olive oil, sunflower oil, or rapeseed oil, and large quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables which are high in antioxidants.”

Also, make sure you’re getting enough fiber.

Image Credit: Getty

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