What Caused My NASH?

Today I want to talk about what caused my nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, better known as NASH or MASH. There are several contributing factors as to why I got diagnosed with liver disease, but here are my top four.

Obesity and its link to NASH

One thing about the diagnosis process with liver disease is that it has taught me that I can no longer fear using the word obese. I have felt shame about my weight for most of my life; I have always been a bit of a yo-yo dieter. Even at my slimmest, there were times when my diet was not healthy, and an unhealthy diet can lead to liver disease.

It was not until I got diagnosed with NASH at the age of 28 that I really had to start taking my relationship with food more seriously. Being obese can cause many serious health issues, like diabetes, heart disease, and nonalcoholic liver disease. Eating an excess of calories can cause fat to build up in our livers, and this can cause fatty liver disease, which can then lead to NASH. Understanding the causes of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) often begins with addressing weight management.

I find it difficult to lose weight as I suffer from chronic pain, so exercising is and can be very difficult for me. If you also have a hard time with exercising due to chronic pain, I found swimming very helpful for me. Swimming also helps relieve itching, which was one of my first symptoms of NASH.

Diabetes and liver health

I have type 2 diabetes; I use medication and follow a healthy, balanced diet to control it. Unfortunately, diabetes runs in my family. Both my grandad and my mum had it, so my getting diagnosed in my mid-twenties was not too much of a shock. Although I feel like I still wasn’t prepared for the diagnosis, as I had watched diabetes slowly eat away at my mum, both she and my grandad were type 1 and insulin-dependent.

So, if you are diabetic or pre-diabetic and your body struggles with insulin, this can cause a fat build-up in the liver. This is why a healthy, balanced diet is important in maintaining a healthy liver. Diabetes is a significant factor among the causes of NASH and other liver complications.

Medications and liver strain

Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, an illness that causes chronic pain throughout the body due to the nervous system. With all the permanent pain I was in, the doctor prescribed me some pain medication. At first, I was given paracetamol (in the U.S. called acetaminophen), then that turned into Naproxen (an NSAID), which then turned into a narcotic.

I was using a strong painkiller that happens to be part of the opioid family. I was on it and other pain medications for about 7 years, and unfortunately, this took a toll on my liver. Being an overweight diabetic who was taking prescribed opioids contributed to my liver disease. I also have a low immune system, which has led to me being on lots of different antibiotics and medications throughout the years; I believe that also took a toll on my liver. Certain medications can be important causes of NASH or exacerbate existing liver conditions.

Unhealthy lifestyle choices

Due to my constant weight gain and then dramatic weight loss, I wasn’t doing my body any favors nutrition-wise. I was eating too many fatty foods, too many carbs, and far too much sugar in my diet. I would drink a lot of fizzy drinks and eat lots of crisps and chocolate. Everything that is bad for you, basically; this didn’t help my diabetes, which in turn didn’t help my liver condition side effects. Unhealthy lifestyle habits are often key causes of NASH and can significantly impact liver health.

Do you have a sense of what might have contributed to your liver disease?