Staying up late to eat barbecue and play games, how is your "little sweetheart"?

Audit expert: Wu Xinsheng

Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Gastroenterology, PLA 371 Hospital

In the hot summer, it is time to "soak wolfberries, grill skewers and drink beer in the air-conditioned room so happy". But do you know who is protecting your health while you indulge in your desire?

When you stay up late, drink a lot of wine, and eat a lot of meat, there is a "she" who has been working diligently and conscientiously day and night just to detoxify and clean the garbage in your body. She is your sweetheart - the liver.

Liver source: Tencent

1

Liver baby

The liver, located in the abdomen of the human body, is an organ that mainly performs metabolic functions. As the largest organ in the human body, a healthy adult liver should be dark red in color and soft and elastic.

Origin of liver | Sugar cube health

The function of the liver is really important to people. It can not only secrete digestive enzymes to help absorb food, but also decompose toxins that are harmful to the body. It is a well-deserved "scavenger" in the body. As a detoxification organ, the liver can convert toxic substances into non-toxic substances through chemical reactions and finally excrete them from the body through urine.

Facing toxic substances, the liver is invincible like a warrior, but little do people know that it also has its own weaknesses. Smoking, drinking, staying up late, eating too much oil and spicy food... these are the liver's mortal enemies. An unhealthy lifestyle increases its workload, eventually leading to illness and pain, and hepatitis is one of them.

2

Know about Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can be caused by a variety of factors and cause damage to liver function. It can be divided into many types, including viral, drug-induced, fatty, and autoimmune hepatitis, and the most common is viral hepatitis.

Hepatitis Type Source: Sohu.com

Hepatitis viruses can be divided into five types: A, B, C, D, and E. Among them, hepatitis B and C viruses are of particular concern. This is because patients infected with these two viruses may be no different from normal people in the early stages, and only show related symptoms when the disease turns chronic. Some people may not realize that they are sick even decades after infection. In addition, these two viruses are the main causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Nearly 80% of liver cancer cases are caused by these two viruses.

The disease progression of chronic hepatitis Source: Sohu.com

Non-viral hepatitis mainly refers to alcoholic hepatitis, metabolic hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and drug-induced hepatitis caused by indiscriminate use of drugs. Although these hepatitis are not contagious, they also need to be taken seriously.

The process of liver cirrhosis Source: Disease Encyclopedia

The clinical manifestations of hepatitis with different causes are also different. Loss of appetite, abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting, etc. are the most common symptoms. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, viral hepatitis B and hepatitis C have affected 325 million people worldwide and can cause at least 1.34 million deaths each year.

Hepatitis symptoms source: Sina.com

3

Know yourself and your enemy, and take scientific measures to protect yourself

Hepatitis is so terrible, so how should we prevent and deal with it in our daily lives?

Non-viral hepatitis is not contagious and can be treated as long as you cooperate with the treatment and maintain healthy lifestyle habits. However, viral hepatitis is contagious to a certain extent, and different viruses have different transmission routes. Hepatitis A and E are mainly transmitted through feces and mouth; hepatitis B, C, and D are mainly transmitted through body fluids and blood. At the same time, mother-to-child transmission is also an important transmission route for hepatitis B.

Hepatitis transmission routes Source: Tencent

Hepatitis may develop into liver cancer. Prevention and active treatment of hepatitis are very important for preventing liver cancer. In life, paying attention to personal hygiene, washing hands frequently, eating cooked food, drinking boiled water, and preventing diseases from entering the body through the mouth are effective ways to prevent hepatitis A and hepatitis E. In addition, it is also very important to eat less greasy and spicy food, not drink alcohol or smoke excessively, avoid overwork, insist on exercise, moderate entertainment, ensure adequate sleep and rest, maintain a regular lifestyle, and give the body a strong physique to defeat the virus.

The five things the liver fears most Source: People's Daily

There are dietary therapies to protect and nourish the liver Source: People's Daily

July 28 is World Hepatitis Day. The World Health Organization calls on all countries to take action to achieve the goal of global control and elimination of hepatitis by 2030. This year's theme is "Time Waits for No One to Eliminate Hepatitis". As the saying goes, only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you win every battle. Protect your liver, stay healthy and live longer. Please take good care of your beloved baby in the future.

Source: Digital Beijing Science Center