The Treatment of Modern Western - Biblio.nhat-nam.ru

15CHRONIC ACTIVE HEPATITISChronic active hepatitis is also referred to as hepatitis C. It isdue to contraction of the hepatitis virus transmitted either viablood, sex, or perinatally. This condition accounts for 60-70%of chronic hepatitis and 30% of liver cirrhosis in the UnitedStates. It also accounts for 8,000-10,000 deaths per year in theU.S. Approximately four million Americans or 1.8% of thepopulation are infected with this virus. Although one mayremain asymptomatic for years after contracting this virus,20% of patients develop cirrhosis within 10-20 years. The clinicalsymptoms of this condition are fatigue, mild upper rightquadrant discomfort or tenderness, nausea, poor appetite, diarrhea,muscle-joint pain, and possible vascular spiders or palmarerythema. The symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver are enlargedliver and/or spleen, jaundice, muscle wasting, ascites, andswollen ankles. Extrahepatic complications include skin rashes,kidney disease, glomerulonephritis, and peripheral neuropathy.Many patients with this disease also test positive for rheumatoidfactor or suffer from Sjögren’s syndrome, fibromylagia syndrome,or lichen planus.The Westernmedical diagnosis of this disease is based on thedetection of anti-HCV antibodies by enzyme immunoassay(EIA). Liver biopsy is then used to stage the disease. Thereare currently two main treatment regimes for this condition.The first is called monotherapy and consists of administrationof alpha-interferon. Alpha-interferon, however, hasmultiple neuropsychiatric side effects. The second is calledcombination therpay and consists of administration of interferonand ribavirin. Liver transplants are done in severe cases.CHINESE DISEASE CATEGORIZATION: Chronicactive hepatitis is mainly categorized as pi juan, fatigue, xietong, rib-side pain, e xin, nausea, na dai, torpid intake, xiexie, diarrhea, and bi zheng, impediment condition. Cirrhosisof the liver is categorized as zheng jia, concretions and conglomerations,huang dan, jaundice, xiao xue, dispersion andwhittling, i.e., emaciation, and zu zhong, foot swelling.DISEASE CAUSES: External contraction of perverse qi,unregulated eating and drinking, internal damage by theseven affects, and agingDISEASE MECHANISMS: Li qi or perverse qi refers tocontagious evil qi which can cause serious, potentially lifethreateningdisease. In this case, the perverse qi associatedwith chronic active hepatitis should be described as a hiddenor deep-lying warm evil that is damp and hot in nature andlodges in the blood division. This deep-lying warm evil damagesthe blood and consumes the qi at the same time as itobstructs the free flow of qi and blood. It is activated or aggravatedby any other damp heat in the body. The two maincauses of enduring, internally engendered damp heat arefaulty diet and emotional stress. Over-eating of spicy, hotfoods, sweet, fatty, thick-flavored foods, and alcohol maydamage the spleen, thus engendering dampness, at the sametime as they brew and transform heat. However, damp heatmay also be due to emotional stress causing liver depression.In this case, enduring depression transforms heat as well asassails the spleen. Spleen vacuity then engenders dampnesswhich binds with depressive heat to become damp heat.When faulty diet is combined with emotional stress, therecipe for damp heat becomes all the more assured. In addition,the spleen becomes vacuous and weak with age and,therefore, so does the righteous qi. If the righteous qi becomestoo weak to keep hidden evils under control, then these hiddenevils become active and further damage the righteous.Damp heat evils not only obstruct the free flow of qi andblood, but heat may consume yin, blood, and fluids, thusresulting in yin and/or blood vacuity. Damp heat may engenderphlegm and result in stasis. If damp heat transforms intofire and brews toxins, it may harass the constructive and theblood. And if damp heat evils so damage the spleen qi, spleendisease may reach the kidneys, thus resulting in a spleen qikidneyyang vacuity. However, in all these cases, it is damp