Fall regimen for liver disease patients

  Chronic liver diseases include various types of viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver diseases, alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases, liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, etc., which generally have a long course. Although there are many treatment methods available, they are still not satisfactory. Therefore, in addition to treatment at regular medical institutions, establishing strong confidence in overcoming the disease, paying attention to daily health care and persistent self-care are also important components of liver disease treatment.  Autumn is a transitional stage from hot to cold. Especially in the north, in early autumn, the remaining heat has not yet disappeared, there is often cloudy rain, heavy moisture, the weather is characterized by both hot and humid; after mid-autumn, the rain is gradually less, the weather is dry, hot and cold changeable. Southern climate autumn is shorter, but still has the characteristics of autumn changes, the human body can not adapt to the climate changes in time, will lead to body dysfunction, a variety of health problems, liver disease patients are more immune weak, so autumn health is very important for liver disease patients.  According to the physiological characteristics of the liver, autumn health care for patients with liver disease mainly includes the following aspects: a. Spiritual conditioning Chinese medicine believes that the liver is the master of emotions, “like to be organized and evil depression”. Long-term chronic emotional stimulation or sudden intense emotional activity, more than the body’s ability to adjust to adapt, will often become a causative factor. In autumn, as the temperature gradually drops, especially in late autumn, the leaves fall in the north, a sluggish scene, in the south, it is cloudy and rainy, it is easy to make people sad and sentimental, more likely to evoke self-pity, depression, pessimism and negativity in patients with liver disease. In Chinese medicine theory, autumn corresponds to the “sadness” of the five Chinese medical wills, which is exactly the same reasoning. Excessive sadness and worry can easily damage the spleen and deplete the heart and blood, which will not only disrupt the regulation of the nervous system and reduce resistance, but also cause weakened digestive function and loss of appetite. This not only causes malabsorption and lack of essential nutrients, but also directly affects the therapeutic effect of drugs, which is not conducive to the recovery of liver disease.  Therefore, patients with liver disease should maintain a peaceful mind in autumn, be calm, optimistic and open, and fully enjoy the beauty of autumn, which represents maturity and harvest. It is advisable to participate in sports and cultural activities, so as to cheer up the mood and spirit, thus effectively dispatching the negative emotions of depression, frustration and sadness, and avoiding aggravating the disease by thinking too much for too long. At the same time, family members, friends, medical personnel should also be consoled and relieved by patients with liver disease, so that they can maintain an optimistic and open mood. This is very beneficial to stabilize the patient’s mood and is also very important to promote recovery from liver disease.  Chinese medicine believes that the liver is the master of tendons and the movement of the muscles, bones and joints of the whole body, so overworking will consume blood and damage the liver, resulting in the deficiency of evil, and the disease will be difficult to heal. There is a Chinese saying “spring sleepiness and autumn fatigue”, which means that the human body is prone to feel tired in autumn, therefore, patients with liver disease in autumn, such as in the active phase of acute and chronic hepatitis, clinical symptoms are obvious, liver function abnormalities should be bed rest. After the symptoms subside and liver function recovery can be appropriately enhanced exercise, not only to prevent recurrence due to excessive activity, but also to enhance appetite, restore physical strength, patients when the activity without fatigue and weakness feeling as degree.  The liver is the main blood reservoir and has the function of regulating the storage of blood and regulating the amount of blood. “When a person sleeps, the blood returns to the liver”, and modern medical research has confirmed that the blood flow into the liver during sleep is seven times that of standing, and the increased blood flow to the liver can carry more nutrients to the liver, which is conducive to the recovery of damaged liver cells. At the same time, Chinese medicine believes that the kidney is the main reservoir of essence, the liver and kidney are of the same origin, essence and blood are also of the same origin, essence and blood can be mutually transformed. Therefore, patients with liver disease should also adapt to the characteristics of autumn by resting in bed before 11:00 p.m. and abstaining from sexual intercourse, so that the kidney energy is sufficient to respond to the astringent qi in autumn, so as to “nourish Yang in spring and summer, and nourish Yin in autumn and winter” and enhance the body’s ability to resist diseases.  In addition, due to the characteristics of the autumn climate, it is easy to produce autumn cold, autumn dryness outside the evil, liver disease patients, most of the physical weakness, easy to be attacked by external evil and the onset of disease, thus making changes in the condition, affecting the effectiveness of treatment, or make the course of the disease is delayed. Therefore, we should pay attention to the ventilation of the living room, do a good job to prevent cold and keep warm, increase and reduce clothing at the right time, so as to “avoid the false evil and thief wind, sometimes”.  The famous Han Dynasty physician Zhang Zhongjing’s book “The Essentials of Jin Kui” believes that “when you see the disease of the liver, you know that the liver transmits the spleen, when the first real spleen”, that is to say, liver lesions often affect the normal transport function of the spleen and stomach, which is the main liver drainage, can regulate the spleen and stomach transport embodiment. Therefore, clinically, patients with liver disease often have poor appetite, loose stools and other symptoms of poor digestive function. In view of the weak function of the spleen and stomach, patients with liver disease can eat more red dates and glutinous rice porridge, yam porridge, coix seed porridge and other foods that are good for the spleen and stomach, while eating less or forbidding fatty pork, butter, mutton fat and other greasy foods, chili, garlic, pepper and other spicy and stimulating products, and foods that are too cold and too hot.  The liver has the physiological characteristic of “Yin and Yang”, and the diet should pay attention to nourishing Yin and moistening dryness because of the dryness in autumn. Therefore, patients with liver disease should choose foods rich in vitamins and nourishing yin, such as fruits and vegetables, according to the characteristics of autumn climate, and match the main food and side dishes well.  In general, the diet of liver disease patients should be light, easy to digest, avoid greasy, cold and spicy, avoid smoking and alcohol. Patients with serious liver disease should pay special attention, such as patients with cirrhosis combined with esophagogastric varices should be given a fine and easily digestible dregs-free diet, and patients with hemorrhage should first fast, and after the blood stops soft and dregs-free diet. For patients with hepatic encephalopathy precursors or existing hepatic encephalopathy should be fasted high protein diet, etc.  In conclusion, autumn and winter are the seasons when various diseases are highly prevalent and prone to deterioration. Patients with liver disease are advised to take a balanced approach to their mental and emotional well-being, diet and exercise, which will certainly help them recover from the disease.