What to note when cooling the liver in hot and uncomfortable weather?

The article is advised by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi Nhat - Infectious Diseases - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Hot weather causes the human body to produce a lot of heat, the skin is prone to acne, dryness, cracking, darkening, melasma... leading to loss of confidence. These factors are suggestive of liver heat. So when cooling the liver in hot weather, what should we pay attention to?

The liver is an important plant that helps metabolize, synthesize, and eliminate toxins. All food and water after entering the body are almost synthesized and purified through the liver, nutrients will be absorbed to nourish the body, toxins are filtered by the liver and then excreted out. When the liver has to work too hard, it will lead to impaired liver function.
The surrounding living environment has a great impact on human health. From the point of view of Traditional Medicine, when the ambient temperature is high, it will increase the metabolism in the body, which means that the liver needs to work harder, thereby producing more heat, causing heat loss. Can blood heat, also known as liver heat.
If the hot state in the body lasts for a long time, toxins and body temperature cannot escape but accumulate, causing liver disease for a long time. In addition, liver heat also occurs when the patient uses too much alcohol, stimulants, fatty sweets, hot spicy or due to the side effects of some drugs that make the liver work harder to eliminate toxins from the liver. body.

Hepatic disease is not a very dangerous disease, but if we do not actively prevent and treat it, this disease in the long run can progress to liver diseases such as liver failure, cirrhosis, and liver failure. even liver cancer.

When the liver is hot, it will show liver disease through some of the following symptoms:
3.1. Pimples, rash When the detoxification function of the liver is weakened or overloaded, it will cause the accumulation of toxins in the liver and in the body. These toxins often cause skin irritation, pimples, hives, itching, and discomfort.
In the case of mild liver heat, the patient only has itching, pimples in each area of ​​the skin or the whole body, but in more severe cases, there will be clusters of blisters, causing intense itching, edema or even a skin infection.
It is very easy for patients to confuse these symptoms with allergic itching. However, when this symptom is prolonged accompanied by jaundice, digestive disorders ... then you should think about problems in the liver.
See also: How to check liver function?

3.2. Changes in skin color When the liver is impaired, the metabolism of the bile pigment bilirubin in the blood to be excreted out is also delayed, leading to accumulation of bile pigment in the blood, causing jaundice.
The more yellow skin condition, the higher the amount of bilirubin pigment. The places on the body where skin color changes are most noticeable are the palms, soles, tongue mucosa, eye conjunctiva...
3.3. Bad smelling breath When the health of the liver is in trouble, it will also produce a lot of ammonia, leading to bad breath and making the patient feel tired, anorexia, poor taste, affect to the digestive system.
3.4. Change in color of stool and urine Poor liver function or liver disease will cause abnormalities in stool and urine: abnormal stool color, may be lighter than normal, while Urine will usually be less and darker in color.
3.5. Dark circles around the eyes and eye strain Fatigue also causes eye fatigue and dark circles around the eyes.

To prevent or treat liver cirrhosis, to help cool the liver in hot weather, each person needs to build a lifestyle, exercise, and eat a reasonable and balanced diet. The cooling for the liver in hot weather is the simplest protection for the liver not to work too hard, we need to have a reasonable time to work and rest. Getting enough sleep is also extremely important because the liver needs time to rest and regenerate. Build a diet rich in green vegetables, ripe fruits, drink enough water that the body needs, avoid putting hot and spicy substances into the body because it is easy to generate heat, causing heat in the body, creating conditions leading to hypothermia. . Do not abuse alcohol as a drink to cool off on hot days, because the liver is the most severely affected organ when the patient regularly drinks alcohol. People who drink a lot of alcohol not only do not help cool the liver but also risk leading to cirrhosis, alcoholic liver cancer. To prevent heat in the body and liver, patients can use vegetables or herbal medicines known for their heat-clearing and detoxifying effects such as gotu kola, lettuce, bitter melon, watermelon, water. lemon, kumquat, artichoke ... In the hot and sultry days, if there is no need to go to the street, limit it. If it is imperative to work in hot weather, employees need to take protective measures to help limit the harmful effects of heat: wear hats, masks, hang long sleeves, wear gloves.. . to limit exposure to hot sun.