Love and protect your liver. Here are some things you should do to prevent hepatitis scientifically | World Hepatitis Day

July 28 is "World Hepatitis Day". This year's theme is "Adhere to early prevention, strengthen detection and detection, and standardize antiviral treatment."

As the largest solid organ in an adult's body, the liver has many important functions and is also threatened by a variety of potential liver damages, such as viruses, alcohol, and drugs. Only by understanding the health status of the liver and conducting scientific and standardized treatment can the harm caused by hepatitis to health be reduced.

Hepatitis can be divided into viral and non-viral. Viral hepatitis is an infectious liver disease caused by infection with hepatotropic viruses, such as hepatitis A virus and hepatitis B virus. The most common viral hepatitis in my country is hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Non-viral hepatitis mainly includes alcoholic liver disease, metabolic-related fatty liver disease, and drug-induced liver damage.

Protect your liver from daily life

We often say that the liver is a "silent organ" because it has no pain nerves. As long as 30% of the liver tissue is still functioning, daily life can be maintained, and the human body usually does not show any abnormal symptoms. This organ that is not good at expressing itself is a very important detoxification organ in our body. It is responsible for "secreting bile, metabolism, and producing coagulation factors." So, how should we take care of it in our daily lives?

First, regulate behavior. Hepatitis A and hepatitis E are mainly transmitted through the fecal-oral route, and are generally caused by feces contaminating water and food.

Prevention of infection mainly relies on good hygiene habits.

1. Avoid sharing personal items such as razors and toothbrushes with others.

2. Wash your hands before meals and after defecation to prevent diseases from entering the body through the mouth.

3. Take a bath, change clothes and dry bedding frequently.

4. Do not eat raw food or drink raw water.

5. Pay attention to purchased cooked meat and make sure it is fully heated before consumption.

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are mainly transmitted through blood, sexual transmission, mother-to-child transmission, and close contact in daily life (such as sharing razors, toothbrushes, etc.).

To prevent infection, you should avoid going to informal private clinics for tooth extraction and filling; avoid going to informal institutions for eyebrow tattooing; avoid mixing personal belongings; women of childbearing age who have been infected with hepatitis B should go to the hospital for examination in time, and use antiviral drugs under the guidance of a doctor to prevent mother-to-child transmission when necessary; men who have sex with men or have multiple sexual partners must use condoms and undergo regular testing.

Second, timely vaccination and comprehensive vaccination against hepatitis B can effectively reduce the risk of hepatitis B virus infection. The full course of hepatitis B vaccination consists of 3 injections, according to the 0, 1, and 6 month schedule, that is, after the first injection, the second and third injections are injected 1 and 6 months apart respectively.

The level of antibodies produced after hepatitis B vaccination will gradually decrease over time. Generally, 97% of people can detect surface antibodies one month after three injections of the vaccine; it remains at this level in the second year; and drops to around 74% in the third year, and the antibody titer also decreases.

Whether hepatitis B vaccine is needed again depends mainly on the level of hepatitis B surface antibody titer.

If the HBsAg titer is ≤10mIU/ml, the patient should be given 3 more doses of HBV vaccine, following the 0, 1, and 6 month schedule.

If the hepatitis B antibody titer is 10-100mIU/ml, it is recommended to inject a hepatitis B vaccine booster shot to increase the hepatitis B antibody titer;

If the hepatitis B antibody titer is between 101 and 1000mIU/ml, there is no need to receive the hepatitis B vaccine for the time being. The hepatitis B antibody titer should be retested 1 to 2 years after the first vaccination, and a decision should be made whether to receive the hepatitis B vaccine based on the antibody titer level.

In addition, my country currently has hepatitis A vaccine and hepatitis E vaccine available for vaccination. Patients with underlying liver disease are advised to consult the liver disease department for vaccination-related matters.

Third, strictly abstain from alcohol. Alcohol is the only cause of alcoholic liver disease and the main cause of other chronic liver diseases.

Long-term drinking history is the basis for diagnosing alcoholic liver disease. Judgment criteria: drinking for more than 5 years, male daily ethanol intake ≥ 40 grams, female ≥ 20 grams, or drinking a lot in the past two weeks, daily ethanol intake ≥ 80 grams, ethanol calculation = alcohol consumption (ml) × alcohol content × 0.8. For patients with alcoholic fatty liver, no matter what type of alcohol should be prohibited. Studies have shown that after 4 to 6 weeks of quitting drinking, the fatty liver deposited in the liver will be greatly alleviated.

Fourth, a proper diet. Fatty liver is one of the important reasons that harm liver health. A proper diet and active physical exercise are the key to improving fatty liver. We should pay attention to eating less animal offal, fried foods, carbonated drinks, and high-sugar foods. Cooking methods recommended include steaming, boiling, stewing, and mixing. Increase fiber and high-quality protein intake.

Fifth, avoid using drugs that damage the liver. Drug-induced liver damage is also one of the common causes of liver disease. Since its early clinical symptoms are mild and often ignored, it is recommended that you avoid long-term use of drugs with liver toxicity and pay attention to regular monitoring of liver function during medication.

Healthy people should have a comprehensive physical examination every year to understand their physical condition. People with chronic liver disease are advised to go to a specialist hospital for relevant examinations every 3 to 6 months. Patients with cirrhosis or liver cancer must take medication under the guidance of a doctor and monitor changes in their condition.

Scientific and standardized treatment of liver disease

1

General treatment

Patients should reduce physical labor, rest in bed, adjust their diet structure, eat high-protein and low-fat foods, and avoid greasy foods.

2

Targeted treatment

Patients with hepatitis B and C should receive antiviral treatment in a timely manner. Patients with alcoholic liver disease should strictly abstain from alcohol and follow the doctor's advice for treatment. Patients with fatty liver disease should pay attention to a reasonable diet and control their weight. Patients with autoimmune hepatitis should receive treatment under the guidance of a doctor according to the severity of their condition. Patients with drug-induced hepatitis should minimize the use of suspicious drugs.

Source: Healthy China

Author: Hou Yixin, deputy chief physician of the Second Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University

Reviewer: Xie Wen, expert of the National Health Science Expert Database and chief physician of Beijing Ditan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University

Planning: Tan Jia

Editor: Liu Yang