Young people love beauty and often get their eyebrows and eyeliner tattooed. However, this hobby can bring diseases to some people. Recently, a young female patient in a hospital found abnormal liver function indicators during a physical examination, which turned out to be caused by tattooed eyebrows. What does tattooed eyebrows have to do with hepatitis C?
What is the relationship between tattooed eyebrows and hepatitis C?
Currently, there are 5 recognized strains of hepatitis viruses in the world, namely hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C can be transmitted through blood, body fluids, and mother-to-child transmission, with blood transmission being the main route. After the hepatitis C virus was first discovered by Americans in 1989, China started screening blood donors for hepatitis C virus only in 1994.
Hepatitis C can also be transmitted through damaged skin and mucous membranes. This includes the use of non-disposable syringes and needles, using improperly sterilized equipment for piercing or invasive procedures. For example, going to some unregulated places for eyebrow tattooing, body tattooing, or ear piercing, where the disinfection does not meet hygiene requirements, can also cause hepatitis C infection. Even tooth extraction, foot repair, acupuncture, and other procedures with inadequate disinfection can also lead to hepatitis C infection.
Everyday contacts such as sharing utensils, talking, shaking hands, hugging, sneezing, coughing, etc. do not transmit hepatitis C. I have not encountered many patients of this kind. However, this easily overlooked route of infection has now risen to the 4th place after blood, body fluids, and mother-to-child transmission.
In addition to blood, body fluids, and mother-to-child transmission, hepatitis C can also be transmitted through damaged skin and mucous membranes. Currently, this easily overlooked route of infection has risen to the 4th place in terms of hepatitis C transmission routes.
For example, going to some unregulated places for eyebrow tattooing, body tattooing, or ear piercing, where the disinfection does not meet hygiene requirements, can also cause hepatitis C infection. Even tooth extraction, foot repair, acupuncture, and other procedures with inadequate disinfection can also lead to hepatitis C infection.
Advantages of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the treatment of hepatitis C
Traditional Chinese medicine treatment for hepatitis C focuses on syndrome differentiation treatment, using different treatment methods based on the symptoms of hepatitis C. The symptoms of hepatitis C are generally divided into various types such as damp-heat pestilence, spleen and kidney yang deficiency, liver and kidney yin deficiency, blood stasis obstructing collaterals, and phlegm-dampness heat accumulation. Different herbal combinations are used according to the corresponding symptoms.
Traditional Chinese medicine treatment for hepatitis C emphasizes on nourishing and regulating, eliminating symptoms of liver disease. However, its main drawback is that the antiviral effect is slow. Currently, the most common method for treating hepatitis C in clinical practice is interferon antiviral therapy, but interferon often brings certain toxic side effects to the body. Therefore, the key to hepatitis C treatment is how to ensure the effectiveness of antiviral therapy while eliminating toxic side effects.
Traditional Chinese medicine treatment for hepatitis C has its irreplaceable advantages, and interferon therapy can achieve ideal antiviral effects. If the two can be effectively combined with appropriate treatment methods, ideal treatment results can be achieved.
Dietary taboos for hepatitis C
1. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol is a major taboo for liver disease patients. It is well known that alcoholics are much more likely to develop liver disease than the general population. Moreover, those who consume more alcohol in daily social interactions are also prone to liver damage. Therefore, it is best for hepatitis C patients to avoid alcohol.
2. Moderate fat intake
Fat is not as useless as some people think, but it should not be consumed excessively. Hepatitis C patients should maintain their weight within the normal range and consume less high-fat foods such as butter, cheese, other dairy products, cooking oil, meat, nuts, and desserts.
3. Avoid excessive sugar consumption
Liver disease patients often have poor appetite and insufficient calorie intake, so they need to eat sugar, but they should not consume too much. Excessive sugar consumption can be converted into fat and accumulate in the body, eventually leading to fatty liver. Moreover, some metabolic residues of sugar, such as acetoacetic acid and lactic acid, can also increase the burden on the liver and easily cause gastrointestinal bloating. It is recommended that hepatitis C patients consume more fruits to supplement the lack of sugar.
