Western medicine loves the liver and prevents hepatitis first. What methods can protect the liver and keep you away from the threat of liver disease?

49 issues of Jian Kang magazine/Si Yanfang

Part I: Screening what kind of liver you belong to.

Liver disease kills tens of thousands of people in China every year and is usually asymptomatic. Are you ready to face this silent killer?

Take a quiz: "What blood type are you, A, B, O, AB? What kind of parents are you? " I'm sure you can answer right away.

Ask again: "What is your liver type? Do you have liver B and liver C? " ? What kind of liver are your parents? Do you have hepatitis B and hepatitis C? 」

Do you need time to think before answering? You may not even be able to answer.

I don't know if I have hepatitis B or hepatitis C, and I may put my "liver" in danger without knowing it. In Taiwan Province Province, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis rank sixth among the top ten causes of death in China, while liver cancer ranks first among the top ten causes of death in men and second among the top ten causes of death in women. Among the people who died of liver cancer, 80% were B carriers, while 10 ~ 15% were C carriers.

"Especially people in their forties and fifties should pay attention," said Xu Jinchuan, executive director of the academic foundation for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases, a consortium legal person. Many people go to "hepatitis-cirrhosis-liver cancer" without knowing it. They may be infected in children or young people, and often turn into cirrhosis or liver cancer in their forties and fifties.

Because hepatitis virus can lurk in the body for more than ten or twenty years without any symptoms, it doesn't mean that the body is fine.

In Taiwan Province Province, one in five adults is a hepatitis B carrier, and their risk of liver cancer is 50 times higher than that of non-carriers/kloc-0. Since 8 1 of the Republic of China, blood donors have been screened for hepatitis C virus. Before that, about 15 ~ 20% people who have had blood transfusion experience may be infected with hepatitis C virus.

Xu Jinchuan, a professor of internal medicine at National Taiwan University School of Medicine, stressed that "everyone should protect the liver, that is, everyone should check for hepatitis B and hepatitis C". If people who have not been infected with hepatitis B virus and have no antibodies, they should be given hepatitis B vaccine. More than 95% of people will not be infected with hepatitis B for at least ten years or even a lifetime.

If you are a B carrier or a C carrier, all kinds of conditions are possible, from disease-free (healthy carriers) to chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and even liver cancer, so it is necessary to follow up and check the individual's liver condition.

The second part: whether the liver is good or not will be known after examination.

1. Find the right doctor and see the right department.

The liver function is quite complicated, and a blood draw can't show the whole situation of the liver. It is best to find a hepatobiliary or gastrointestinal specialist to interpret and explain all kinds of liver function test reports for you and judge whether you need to continue follow-up or treatment.

2. Insufficient liver function test.

Normal liver function and normal liver cannot be equated. Besides liver function, we should also check fetal protein and abdominal ultrasound. Fetal protein A can be regarded as an indicator of liver cancer. Abdominal ultrasound can see through the liver and check whether there are nodules and tumors in the liver.

Liver function indexes (ALT and AST) can only explain whether the liver is inflamed at the moment of blood drawing. ALT and AST are the most abundant enzymes in liver cells. If the liver cells are inflamed or injured, ALT and AST will penetrate into the blood, and the value will increase. However, when cirrhosis and liver cancer occur, the liver has stopped inflammation, and the ALT and AST values are very likely to be normal, so it is impossible to judge the liver condition only by liver function indicators.

For hepatitis B carriers, hepatitis C carriers, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and people with liver cancer in their families, the liver status should be tracked at least once every six months.

3. Chronic hepatitis is a treatable disease

10 years ago, hepatitis was regarded as an incurable disease. If you have chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C, the doctor can only tell you to "follow up".

Fortunately, effective drugs for chronic hepatitis B or C have emerged. Although the current treatment is not effective for everyone, it is a great blessing for patients with chronic hepatitis B or C, and it is expected to get rid of the fate of "hepatitis-cirrhosis-liver cancer", even those who have been infected with the virus for decades can be successfully treated.

Treating chronic hepatitis B with interferon or ganal can make some patients' E antigen positive turn negative (which means that the number of virus is small or has been eliminated), even if the hepatitis B virus cannot be carved out of the root, it may reduce the chance of developing liver cancer in the future. The research team led by Chen Jianren, an academician of China Academy of Sciences, found that the relative risk ratio of hepatitis B carriers with positive E antigen was 60%, while that of hepatitis B carriers with negative E antigen was 9.6%. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in July this year.

The treatment of chronic hepatitis C can cure more than half of patients, and even completely eliminate the virus in patients. You can choose to use standard interferon monotherapy, standard interferon plus ribavirin (antiviral drug) or long-acting interferon plus ribavirin.

However, at present, when choosing drugs to treat chronic hepatitis B or C, besides personal illness, side effects of drugs, drug resistance and other issues, it is also necessary to see whether patients can afford expensive drugs, because they have not been included in medical insurance payment.

Part III: Build your good liver.

1. Maintain normal weight.

Being overweight will make the liver work harder and increase the risk of fatty liver. If the whole body fat is reduced, the liver fat will also be reduced, and even the increased liver function index of patients with liver disease will be significantly reduced. "If it is not hepatitis B or hepatitis C, the average person's liver index will increase slightly, which is mostly caused by fatty liver," said Huang Yixin, an attending physician in the Department of Gastroenterology of Taipei Rongzong. The ideal way to lose weight is a balanced diet and regular exercise.

2. Stay away from all kinds of instruments that may be contaminated by blood.

Avoid unnecessary blood transfusions, injections, ear piercings and tattoos, share toothbrushes and razors with others, and reduce contact with instruments that may be contaminated by blood. Because hepatitis B and hepatitis C are mainly transmitted through blood and body fluids, eating at the same table with hepatitis B and hepatitis C carriers will not be infected.

balanced diet

In order to lose weight quickly, we only eat fruit and no other food for three meals, or a "low-sugar diet"-a diet combination of high protein and low carbohydrate. An unbalanced diet increases the burden on the liver. The liver is responsible for converting the food you eat into the energy source of your body. It is more difficult for the liver to convert non-carbohydrates into energy than carbohydrates into energy. A balanced diet should be 60-70% carbohydrate (such as rice and pasta), 20-30% protein (such as meat and beans) and 65,438+00-20% polyunsaturated fat (such as vegetable oil).

4. Pay attention to food hygiene

Don't drink raw water or eat raw seafood, because clams, oysters and shellfish are easily infected with hepatitis A virus. If you want to travel to areas with high incidence of hepatitis A, such as Chinese mainland, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, Africa and other places, it is best to inject hepatitis A vaccine before departure.

Don't drink.

Drinking alcohol will increase the probability of fatty liver and alcoholic liver disease, and patients with liver disease should stop drinking alcohol completely.

give up smoking

Smoking is related to liver cancer.

7. Don't take medicine indiscriminately

All the drugs you eat must be detoxified by the liver. Avoid taking drugs other than those prescribed by doctors, because taking multiple drugs at the same time is easy to produce drug interactions and affect the ability of the liver to metabolize drugs. When patients with liver disease seek medical treatment, they should inform the doctor of all the drugs they are currently taking as a reference for doctors to prescribe drugs.

* * * How does Chinese medicine protect and nourish the liver?

Does a big liver fire mean a bad liver? Chinese and western medicine have different views on liver. To nourish and protect the liver, we must first know what kind of liver we are protecting.

49 issues of Jian Kang magazine/Lin Zhencen

"Doctor, I'm thirsty and irritable. Is my liver function bad? 」

Xu Jinchuan, chairman of the academic foundation for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases, who has heard countless complaints and loves to joke in clinic, can't help but shake his head and sigh: "The liver mentioned by Chinese people is very different from the liver of orthodox medicine. 」

This liver is not another liver. What's the problem?

In fact, Chinese and western medical terms are different, and the liver referred to by Chinese medicine is far wider than that of modern medicine.

When the western liver meets the eastern liver.

The liver in modern medicine refers to a simple organ-two livers, weighing 1.5 kg, without nerves, working silently. It is the only organ in the human body that can regenerate.

The "liver" of traditional Chinese medicine is not only the liver, but also the brain and nervous system in a broad sense.

According to ancient records, the liver is the general and commander in chief, responsible for planning, thinking and managing the operation of various departments of the body. It is "somewhat similar to the autonomic nervous system." Professor Chen Rongzhou, Vice President of Changhua Xiuchuan Medical College, has been practicing internal medicine of traditional Chinese medicine for many years. For example, dizziness, stroke, etc. all belong to the category of liver diseases in traditional Chinese medicine.

According to the functional classification, the liver of traditional Chinese medicine is mainly responsible for storing blood and excreting. Blood storage is the storage of nutrients in the body, and drainage refers to the dredging and regulating (metabolic) functions of the body.

For example, the liver is like a central bank, responsible for managing the circulation of the three major currencies (gas, blood and water) of the body. Emotion, sleep, diet and even drugs will affect the excretion function of the liver.

Generally speaking, hyperactivity of liver fire and hyperactivity of liver yang are all manifestations of diarrhea. Liver fire burns along the meridians of the liver, causing dizziness, insomnia, dry mouth, tinnitus, dry eyes, headache and other phenomena, and even causing liver inflammation and lesions.

Therefore, the so-called liver protection and liver nourishing in Chinese medicine is basically to improve the physical environment, maintain normal dredging and regulating functions, and enhance disease resistance.

"Simply put, it is to reduce the burden on the liver," said Lin, director of the Chinese Medicine Department of the Third General Administration. At this point, the views of Chinese and western medicine are the same, but Chinese medicine seems to be diversified and rich in practice. As long as we start from some details of daily life, it is possible to improve the condition of the liver.

The mood should be stable.

Chinese medicine says that "anger hurts the liver", and the mood fluctuates too much, which easily affects the liver. Usually, people with high self-demand, impatience and perfectionism are more prone to anxiety, which is a constitution that is more prone to anger in Chinese medicine.

"Liver belongs to wood, and wood is happy. Cai Zonglong, vice president of Xinhua Branch of Tainan Hospital, participated in the hepatitis treatment program of National Taiwan University. He is also a hepatobiliary gastroenterologist. He believes that the liver can be imagined as a big tree, and trees like to be free. Therefore, nourishing the liver should focus on emotional adjustment and happy mood.

Administrative and medical work is busy, as well as study and research work. Cai's personal way to adjust stress is to go riding on weekends. The pleasure of galloping on the prancing horse allowed him to be released and regain his strength.

Su Chi, convener of the National Security Group of the National Policy Foundation, a consortium legal person, believes that it is very important not to get angry. During his six and a half years in public office, Su Chi rarely suffered from insomnia, despite the pressure of being questioned and scolded by the Legislative Yuan.

"Ah, just right. As soon as Su Qi entered the door, he introduced the inscription of his favorite feast master hanging on the wall.

For him, there is no promotion or stepping down, just a parallel transfer from one circle to another, "wearing a tie at work without a tie." He tries his best to do his job well, and he won't dance with his emotions if he doesn't care too much about gains and losses.

Get enough sleep

The liver governs the storage of blood, and Su Wen in Huangdi Neijing mentioned: "When people lie down, blood belongs to the liver. Adequate sleep can completely repair the liver.

From the perspective of Chinese medicine, 165438+ blood flows through the liver and gallbladder from 0 pm to 3 am. At this time, the body should get a thorough rest, otherwise the repair function of the liver will be affected, the physical strength will not be restored, and the joint thinking ability will become dull.

"You have to sleep during this time," Guo, director of the Chinese Medicine Department of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou, mentioned that you must try to sleep before 1 1, at least before 12: 30.

Poor sleep quality can also lead to an increase in liver fire. Therefore, experts suggest that it is not suitable to engage in work that consumes too much brain power at night, which may easily affect the quality of sleep.

Director Chen Rongzhou, who has 20 years' experience in clinical teaching and liver disease treatment, admits that he often stays busy until 1 in the morning. "But I will meditate for more than half an hour." After more than 20 years of continuous meditation, Chen Rongzhou thinks that meditation can calm himself down, so that he can fall asleep in a short time and have a good sleep.

Proper rest helps to strengthen the liver.

"You should have a rest when you are tired," Cai Zonglong suggested. The best way to treat the liver is to find time to rest every day. He remembers that when he was a resident, his colleague's liver function index soared to more than 200, and he was completely normal. Later, he found that this colleague worked until the evening when he started working 10, without eating or resting. He has three meals as usual, takes a nap at noon and takes a short rest after dinner in the evening. Even though he works later than his colleagues, it may take him 1 1 to go home, but he is mentally and physically stronger than others.

"Our bodies are very sensitive." The university detected hepatitis B. Teacher Chen, who teaches in a primary school, has lived in peace with hepatitis virus for nearly 20 years. She insists that whenever she is busy and tired, she can adjust at any time and have a rest at any time, such as taking a nap for a while, and usually the feeling of fatigue can be eliminated.

bland diet

Spicy food, such as frying, coffee, tea, etc. It is also the cause of liver fire. Try to avoid excessive consumption.

Natural and original green vegetables and fruits will not increase the burden on the liver, and are also rich in antioxidants, which is very helpful for the repair of liver cells.

Cai, who grew up in Taitung, is used to eating original food, such as barbecue, processed products and fried onions. He doesn't touch anything without original food. Families adopt a healthy diet with low oil and salt and no monosodium glutamate. Besides, Cai brings a lunch to work every day, which he thinks can reduce the burden of eating out.

"You should know how to balance yourself," director Guo Zhongzhen mentioned, and there are no special taboos in his daily diet. Today he eats greasy food, and tomorrow he will eat some cold food such as loofah, cabbage, or more fruits and vegetables to balance the body's pH value. He thinks a balanced diet is good.

As for being angry, should I take medicine? Experts believe that in addition to adequate sleep and relaxation, some simple foods can also help reduce fire. Mung beans, coix seed, asparagus, loofah, watermelon, aloe and mussels can clear away heat; As Dr. Guo said, red beans and wax gourd can also regulate the body's moisture (called dampness in Chinese medicine) to eliminate the damp-heat state of the body.

In addition, Chinese medicine believes that only by strengthening the gastrointestinal function can the liver be fully nourished. A light diet can relieve the burden on the stomach. Lotus seeds, Euryale ferox, Poria cocos and Chinese yam in Shen Si soup have the effects of invigorating spleen and stomach.

While cooking with a mobile phone, Ms. Lin Lizhen, a patchwork teacher, took her son through liver cancer surgery last year. Laughing loudly, she mentioned that she was hospitalized with acute hepatitis 20 years ago and then took medicine, which had side effects of depression. She is afraid to open the window at home. From cirrhosis to liver cancer, she admitted that it took her a long time to get out.

In the past, her physical strength was very poor. "After practicing yoga, my physical strength recovered quickly after half a year." I always have different plans in my mind. Lin Lizhen, a volunteer of the Academic Foundation for Prevention and Treatment of Liver Diseases, strongly recommended the efficacy of yoga.

A normal life, a moderate diet, a proper lifestyle and a philosophy of doing things may all be opportunities to change life from black and white to color.