Acupuncture, the Coronavirus, and the Liver

I plan to discuss the effects in which the coronavirus has on the liver once infected. If you have not seen my episode on the basic functions of the liver in Chinese medicine, I suggest you go back and watch it before continuing to watch this episode so that you'd be able to better understand how the functions of the liver are to be perceived from a Chinese medicine perspective. As I've stated in other episodes on the coronavirus, this virus has the ability to launch a full-body assault causing damage to organs other than just the lungs.

There are cases of severely ill patients having recovered from this virus to only realize that after further testing there was evidence of its lingering effects. Of These apparent recoveries, there are patients that have shown signs of impaired liver function. When liver cells have been damaged, they tend to leak higher than normal amounts of enzymes into the bloodstream which is usually indicated in follow-up blood work after recovery from this virus. Blood test results have shown increased serum levels of ALT, and AST, as well as lactic dehydrogenase. Severe hypoxia is the major cause of hypoxic liver injury as a result of acute lung failure or shock, relative to this viral infection. Hypoxic liver injury can be tied to metabolic acidosis, calcium overloading, and altered functions of mitochondrial membrane permeability. Immune-mediated inflammation can also contribute to liver injury as well.

Liver damage in patients infected by the coronavirus are usually a direct cause of the liver cells having been infected by this virus. Now let's take a look at things from the eyes of an acupuncturist. Keep in mind that the 2 more important functions of the liver are that of ensuring the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body, as well as storing blood. Liver Patterns that I'm noticing in my patients who've been diagnosed with COVID-19 are Liver Qi stagnation - which if remains stagnant too long tends to show signs of internal heat whereby the patient would manifest with symptoms of a slight feeling of oppression of the chest, epigastric distention, a feeling of a lump in the throat area, and a feeling of heat rushing up to the head.
Until next time, Acupuncture Is My Life...what's yours?