Recognizing Hepatic Steatosis: 10 Signs of a Fatty Liver

4. Fatigue

Fatigue is a common early symptom noted in about half of the cases of fatty liver disease. In a quarter of those cases, it is bad enough to affect the individual's quality of life significantly. Mental fatigue, which makes performing mental and physical tasks challenging, is common and may be related to the depression and anxiety that also develop with a fatty liver. Research suggests impairment to the liver's ability to communicate with the brain could also contribute to this symptom. One affected area in the brain is the basal ganglia, which deal with voluntary motor control and emotion.