Most people discover they have a fatty liver when they have a blood test or ultrasound for something else. 

In its early stages, steatotic liver disease doesn’t cause any noticeable symptoms. You can also have fat on your liver for years and not notice anything unusual. If symptoms are present, they’re often vague and may include: 

• tiredness or a general feeling of having no energy 
• weakness 
• feeling generally unwell 
• feeling full 
• pain in the upper right side of your belly. 

Symptoms of fatty liver usually reflect the amount of scarring caused by fat on the liver. If the disease progresses to cirrhosis of the liver, you may notice ^{x xi}: 

• nausea 
• vomiting 
• loss of appetite 
• unexplained weight loss 
• yellow-coloured skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice) 
• swelling in your belly (ascites) 
• swelling in your legs, feet or hands (oedema) 
• spidery blood vessels just beneath your skin 
• shortness of breath 
• itchy skin 
• black poo.  

If you notice any of the above symptoms see your doctor straight away. 

If you’re concerned about your risk for steatotic liver disease or want to check on the health of your liver, talk to your doctor.