Kai Chen Ph.D. in
Chinese Medicine
TCM Dr. in British Columbia, Canada
205 Burnside Road East, Victoria, B.C. V9A 1A4 Canada
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TCM Dr. in British Columbia, Canada 205 Burnside Road East, Victoria, B.C. V9A 1A4 Canada |
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Viral
Hepatitis Introduction Viral
hepatitis is inflammation of liver caused by virus infectious.
There are five forms of hepatitis. Hepatitis
A: HAV is highly contagious and is usually transmitted by fecal-oral route.
Hepatitis B: HBV is
transmitted by the direct exchange of contaminated blood, also human secretions
and feces. The incubation period
ranges from 45-180 days, and the onset of acute disease is generally insidious.
Most acute HBV infections in adults result in complete recovery.
However, approximately 30%-90% of young children and 2%-10% of adults who
are infected with HBV develop chronic infection.
Hepatitis C: HCV is often
transmitted through transfused blood from asymptomatic donors.
About 30% to 40% of persons with acute infection develop symptomatic
illness and 20% to 30% have jaundice. Chronic liver disease develops in about
70% of persons who become infected with HCV and nearly all (85%-100%) persons
with acute HCV infection become persistently infected; these persons are at risk
for developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis D (Delta): HDV infection
can be acquired either as a coinfection with HBV or as a superinfection of
persons with chronic HBV infection. Persons with HBV-HDV coinfection may have
more severe acute disease and a higher risk of fulminate hepatitis (2%-20%)
compared with those infected with HBV alone; however, chronic HBV infection
appears to occur less frequently in persons with HBV-HDV coinfection.
Hepatitis E: It is
transmitted enterically, like HAV. Typical
clinical signs and symptoms of acute hepatitis
are similar for different types of viral hepatitis.
In the prodromal (preicteric) stage, common symptoms are fatigue,
malaise, arthralgia, myalgia, nausea and vomiting, and mild fever.
In jaundice stage, symptoms include jaundice, abdominal pain anorexia,
dark urine, fever, hepatomegaly, malaise, nausea, and vomiting. Other less
common symptoms include pruritus and urticarial rash. During the recovery (posticteric),
most of patient’s symptoms decrease or subside.
Hepatitis A is acute and with good prognosis. In this secession hepatitis
B is mainly discussed. The symptoms
and signs in chronic hepatitis are varied depending on the inflammations
conditions, may be fatigue, abdominal distension, poor appetite, right side
hypochondria pain, etc. TCM etiology and pathology In TCM, there is no similar name as hepatitis.
The main symptoms of hepatitis are jaundice, hypochondria pain, abdominal
fullness and loss appetite, the hepatitis TCM illness may be Huangdan
(jaundice), or Xietong (hypochondria pain), or Fuzhang (abdominal fullness), or
Nadai (loss appetite), etc. The cause mainly is pathogenic
factors, mainly damp-heat or heat-toxin invading Liver-gallbladder. Others
include dirt disorder, such as in a long period, overeating greasy food or spicy
food, over-drinking alcohol, Liver qi stagnation, blood stasis,
Liver yin deficiency, etc. Generally
speaking, the acute hepatitis often is excessive, mainly pathogenic factors
invading, and the chronic hepatitis is mixed with excessive and deficiency, the
formal is stagnated pathogenic factors and that cause qi and blood stasis, the
later is yin and qi deficiency. TCM differentiation and treatment 1. Acute hepatitis Clinical manifestation: Jaundice, bright yellow
color, fever, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, abdominal fullness, white stools,
red tongue with yellow greasy fur, rapid pulse
Treatment principle: Dispersing hear and resolving
dampness Herbal prescription: Modified Yin Chen Hao Tang Acupuncture: Danshu (BL19), Zhiyang (DU9), Yanglingquan (GB34), Yinlingquan (SP9), Taichong (Liv3) 2. Chronic hepatitis 2.1 Disharmonized liver-spleen Clinical
manifestation: Hypochondria distension pain, abdominal fullness, loss appetite,
nausea, or fatigue, or vomiting and diarrhea, big tongue body with white greasy
fur or yellow greasy fur, taut and slippery pulse Treatment principle: Harmonizing liver-spleen Herbal prescription: Modified Chai Hu Shu Gan San Acupuncture:
Ganshu (BL18), Xingjian (Liv2), Pishu (BL20), Yanglingquan (GB34), Zusanli
(ST36), Fenglong (ST40) 2.2 Blood stasis
Clinical
manifestation: Hypochondria stabbing and sharp pain, touchable enlarged and
harder liver, dark and pale complexion, loss appetite, nausea, vomiting,
fatigue, purple tongue, deep and weak pulse Treatment principle: Promoting blood circulation to
remove stasis, softening the masses Herbal Prescription: Modified Gexia Zhuyu Tang Acupuncture:
Dabao (SP21), Zhigou (SJ6), Taichong (Liv3), Geshu (BL17), Sanyinjiao (SP6) 2.3 Liver yin deficiency Clinical
manifestation: Hypochondria dull pain, emaciated, afternoon or at night low
fever, dizziness, poor appetite, fatigue, dark red complexion, low back and knee
weakness and soreness, impotence or menstruation disorders, red narrow tongue
body with yellow fur or without fur, deep and weak pulse
Treatment principle: Tonifying liver yin Herbal prescription: Modified Yinguan Jian Acupuncture: Ganshu (Bl18), Taichong (Liv3), Taixi
(KD3), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Zusanli Copyright by Kai Chen Ph.D. in Chinese Medicine
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