Acute Hepatitis
Acute hepatitis refers to liver injury caused by various harmful factors, resulting in damage to liver cells and impaired liver function, which in turn lead to a range of symptoms. The course of these injuries generally does not exceed six months. Common causes include viruses, bacteria, parasites, chemical toxins, medications, and alcohol. In China, the most common form is acute viral hepatitis, particularly acute hepatitis B. In other countries, alcoholic hepatitis is more common.
TCM Pattern Differentiation and Treatment Reference
|Common Symptoms
Clinical Description:
Yellowing of the body and eyes, dry and bitter mouth, dry stools, dark yellow or reddish urine, yellow greasy tongue coating, and a wiry, slippery, rapid pulse
In Plain Language:
- The body and whites of the eyes look yellow, giving the whole person a yellowish appearance.
- The mouth feels dry and bitter, with noticeable dryness when speaking or swallowing.
- Stools are hard and difficult to pass, and bowel movements may be less frequent.
- Urine is yellow to reddish in color and may appear dark rather than clear.
- The tongue is coated with a yellow, sticky-looking layer that appears thick and greasy.
- The pulse feels taut and smooth under pressure, with a faster-than-usual rhythm.
|Treatment Approach
Clinical Description:
Clear heat and toxins, promote urination to reduce dampness, and resolve jaundice
In Plain Language:
- Clear internal heat, with the aim of easing fever, restlessness, or a sore and swollen throat.
- Address pathogenic factors, with the aim of easing sores, thirst, or redness, swelling, heat, and pain.
- Dispel dampness, with the aim of improving fatigue, a heavy feeling, or difficulty urinating.
- Reduce jaundice, with the aim of gradually easing yellowing of the skin and eyes.
|Related Products
The products below are provided for information only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical Description:
Aversion to cold and preference for warmth, loose stools, a swollen tongue, pale tongue body, and a white, slippery coating
In Plain Language:
- You feel chilled easily and prefer to be somewhere warm; warmth may make you feel somewhat more comfortable.
- Stools are loose and poorly formed, with bowel movements that appear soft or watery.
- The tongue appears enlarged and pale, looking swollen and lacking color when extended.
- The tongue coating is white and somewhat slippery, with a moist, slick appearance.
|Treatment Approach
Clinical Description:
Strengthen the Spleen and harmonize the Stomach; warm and transform cold-dampness
In Plain Language:
- Support the Spleen’s digestive function, with the aim of helping the body digest and absorb food and gradually feel stronger.
- Harmonize Stomach qi, with the aim of easing bloating, acid reflux, or poor appetite.
- Warm and disperse internal cold, with the aim of easing sensitivity to cold, cold hands and feet, or abdominal pain.
- Address internal dampness, with the aim of improving a heavy feeling, loose stools, or difficulty urinating.
|Related Products
The products below are provided for information only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical Description:
Frequent sighing, low or depressed mood, dizziness and blurred vision, white tongue coating, and a wiry pulse; in women, breast distension and pain, irregular menstruation, and menstrual cramps
In Plain Language:
- You may sigh involuntarily and often, with tightness in the chest that eases slightly after sighing.
- You may feel low or emotionally constrained, with persistent unease or difficulty feeling cheerful.
- You may feel dizzy or lightheaded, with vision that seems unsteady; this may be more noticeable when standing or moving around.
- The tongue is covered with a white coating, which may appear as a thin whitish layer.
- The pulse feels taut and straight under pressure, like a tightly stretched string, rather than soft.
- Women may experience breast distension and pain, irregular periods, and lower abdominal pain during menstruation.
|Treatment Approach
Clinical Description:
Soothe the Liver and regulate qi
In Plain Language:
- Help the Liver qi flow freely, with the aim of easing chest tightness, distension in the ribs, or low mood.
- Regulate the movement of qi and blood, with the aim of supporting digestion and easing poor appetite, belching, or abdominal bloating.
- Promote the free flow of qi, with the aim of helping the mind and body feel more at ease.
|Related Products
The products below are provided for information only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical Description:
Belching, bland taste in the mouth, loose and unsatisfactory stools, pale-red tongue, thin white or pale-yellow coating, and a wiry, moderate pulse
In Plain Language:
- You may belch frequently, with air rising up; this may be more likely after talking or eating.
- The mouth may taste bland, and food may seem tasteless or less appetizing.
- Stools may be loose, with a feeling that bowel movements are incomplete or unsatisfactory.
- The tongue is pale red, appearing reddish but not deeply colored.
- The tongue coating is thin and white or pale yellow, covering the tongue in a light layer.
- The pulse feels taut but relatively moderate under pressure, with an unhurried rhythm.
|Treatment Approach
Clinical Description:
Soothe the Liver and relieve constraint; supplement qi and strengthen the Spleen
In Plain Language:
- Help the Liver qi flow freely, with the aim of easing chest tightness, distension in the ribs, or low mood.
- Address stagnation, with the aim of helping the mood feel less constrained and restoring a sense of ease.
- Support the body’s qi, with the aim of easing fatigue and weakness and gradually improving stamina.
- Support the Spleen’s digestive function, with the aim of helping digestion and absorption and easing poor appetite or abdominal bloating.
|Related Products
The products below are provided for information only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical Description:
Dull pain in the ribs, vexing heat in the palms, soles, and chest, difficulty sleeping with many dreams, a red tongue with little coating, and a fine or fine, rapid pulse
In Plain Language:
- You may feel a dull ache in the rib area that varies in intensity and feels more uncomfortable with movement or pressure.
- The palms, soles, and chest may feel warm, with inner restlessness and a sense of heat inside.
- You may have difficulty falling asleep and experience many dreams; sleep may be restless, and you may still feel poorly rested after waking.
- The tongue appears red, with very little coating and almost no thick coating visible.
- The pulse may feel fine or fine and rapid, with reduced strength under pressure and a somewhat faster rhythm.
|Treatment Approach
Clinical Description:
Nourish and supplement the Liver and Kidneys
In Plain Language:
- Nourish the Liver, with the aim of supporting the body’s essence and blood and easing blurred vision, dizziness, or emotional instability.
- Nourish the Kidneys, with the aim of supporting kidney essence and easing soreness or weakness in the lower back and knees, tinnitus, or fatigue.
- Support coordination between the Liver and Kidneys and balance yin and yang, with the aim of gradually improving overall well-being.
|Related Products
The products below are provided for information only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical Description:
Stabbing pain in the ribs that remains in one place; a dark-red or deep-red tongue with purple spots of blood stasis
In Plain Language:
- You may feel a sharp, needle-like pain on one side of the rib area. The pain is localized rather than moving around and may feel more uncomfortable with pressure.
- The pain may recur in episodes and persist for a while; you may notice the stabbing sensation more when moving or turning.
- The tongue appears dark red or deep crimson, with small purplish, dark spots that resemble bruises.
|Treatment Approach
Clinical Description:
Clear heat and resolve blood stasis, nourish yin, and address toxins
In Plain Language:
- Clear internal heat, with the aim of easing fever, restlessness, or a sore and swollen throat.
- Address blood stasis, with the aim of easing bruising, pain, or lumps.
- Nourish yin, with the aim of supporting balance between yin and yang and easing deficiency heat, dry mouth, or night sweats.
- Address pathogenic toxins, with the aim of gradually easing sores, redness, swelling, or signs associated with toxic heat.
|Related Products
The products below are provided for information only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
References
- Liver and Gallbladder Disease Group, Internal Medicine Branch, China Association of Chinese Medicine; Liver Disease Committee, World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies; Liver Disease Group, Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine. Expert Consensus on TCM Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B[J]. Chinese Journal of Hepatology, 2012, 28(3): 164–168.
- Spleen and Stomach Disease Branch, China Association of Chinese Medicine. Consensus Opinion on TCM Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease[J]. Beijing Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2011, 2(2): 83–88.
- Wu Shanming, Wang Lingtai, Wang Yuqun, et al. Practical Handbook of Liver Disease Medications[M]. Beijing: China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2007: 7.
- Wan Lingfeng, Gao Yueqiu. Selected Prescriptions and Medicinals Used by Professor Gao Yueqiu in the Treatment of Chronic Liver Disease[J]. Sichuan Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2015, 33(2): 7–9.
- Jiang Feng, Yang Xianzhao, Ye Yong’an, et al. Rational Use of Chinese Patent Medicines in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B[J]. China Licensed Pharmacist, 2010, 7(10): 8–10.