Patient's question:
Friend has been eating meat for many years, doesn't like to be active, and dislikes being in a bad mood, so their liver has never been very good. Recently, a thorough check-up revealed fatty liver, and the condition is quite serious. The doctor asked the friend to stop drinking beer and to eat less meat as well. They need to take medication promptly to treat high blood lipids.Doctor's answer:
Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that fatty liver falls under the category of accumulating and stagnating phlegm. It may present with dark tongue quality, purple spots, ecchymoses, greasy tongue coating, accounting for about 65%. The pathogenesis of this condition is primarily qi stagnation and blood stasis, with liver and gallbladder damp-heat as the secondary manifestation. The triggers include irregular diet, poor mood, and liver dysfunction in qi regulation. The fundamental pathogenesis involves qi stagnation internally, liver meridian blockage, spleen dysfunction in transportation, turbid pathogens harming the clear, and mutual stagnation of qi, blood, phlegm, and stasis in the hypochondria.According to the described pathogenesis, fatty liver can be classified into four types, with the following subtypes:
1. Qi Stagnation Type ——— The treatment principle is to regulate the liver and relieve depression, as well as harmonize qi. The formula should be a combination of Chai Hu Shu Gan San (Bupleurum Decoction for Liver Regulation) and Xiao Yao San (Free and Easy Wanderer Decoction). The characteristics of the formula are as follows:
- Qi regulation as the foundation, combined with blood circulation.
- Prioritizing liver regulation, with spleen tonification as.
- Chai Hu (Bupleurum) promotes ascending qi, while Zhi Ke (Ammi) promotes descending qi.