I’ve been recently told I have a fatty liver with inflammation but the outlook and severity differ in different doctors. I’ve had one doctor say its SERIOUS while others say its MILD. Some say its treatable (only weight loss, diet, exercise) and reversible some say its not as easy. Who should I trust after seeing a multitude of doctors? Problem is I think maybe I should seek an asian doctor instead. Being asian, I was told that this is a condition that is prevalent in asians, even skinny ones whereas this condition for caucasians happens more to the obese-morbidly obese. My line of thinking is that asian doctors understand “our” phsyiology much better and probably have experience treating asians with this condition since most asians tend to like seeing asian doctors. Is this a good idea? Because I’ve been getting a lot of questions unanswered from “caucasian” doctors I dont’ think they really know how to treat me. A lot of wishy-washy responses.
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There’s a good reason the responses are a little vague and seemingly contradictory – the cause of fatty liver is commonly unknown in cases that cannot be traced to excessive alcohol consumption, hepatitis, or obesity. If none of these circumstances apply to you, then the cause is likely unknown, or at least cannot be known without further tests.
To complicate things even further, a fatty liver often causes no medical problems, but sometimes the excess fat leads to chronic inflammation of the liver (steatohepatitis), and there is no way to predict who will develop this chronic condition. So, some doctors may view a fatty liver as a risk because of what could happen, and other doctors may not consider this a risk if you haven’t actually developed steatohepatitis.
So, no matter which doctor you go to, none will have a definitive answer. The typical course of action for someone with no known cause for a fatty liver is maintaining a low-fat diet with plenty of exercise, minimizing consumption of alcohol and medications that are known to be hard on the liver, and monitoring liver enzymes several times a year.
An Asian doctor might be a good idea since life styles and diet are an important factor, and an Asian might have some better insight than others who are less familiar with Asian culture and medical conditions common to Asians.
Why don’t you research this condition for yourself, and then base off your research, which doctor is the best for you. I would base your choice of doctor, purely form the doctors experience and education.
“Because I’ve been getting a lot of questions unanswered from ‘caucasian’ doctors I dont’ think they really know how to treat me.”
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if you would feel better about it go to an asian doctor. another option would be to seek out a doctor who specializes in problems with the liver. if the doctor is a specialist, they normally have better answers because they focus on that one area more than others. it’s possible that the doctors you have been seeing, whether they’re caucasion or whatever other race they are , they could just not be familiar enough with your situation. try contacting a local hospital and see if they know of any doctors with the specialty you’re looking for. good luck.
well, try to consult in an asian doctor…………
anyway, there’s no harm in trying everything for your health, right????