Re: Liver/ Itching (reply)

[Guest guest]

Hello barb1283@...,

In reference to your comment:

" 50 Ways to Love Your Liver "

FROM THE AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION

50 Ways to Love Your Liver

Avoid taking unnecessary medications. (Too many chemicals can harm me.)

*********drug induced liver disease is more common than you think!!

Don't mix medicines without the advice of a doctor. (You could create

something poisonous that could damage me badly)

Street drugs cause serious damage and scar me permanently

Don't drown me in beer, liquor or wine. (If you drink alcohol, have two

or fewer drinks per day)

*********If you have known liver disease ONE drink is ONE TOO

MANY.....especially if you are infected with hepatitis.

Never mix alcohol with other drugs & medications.

*********NEVER take Tylenol after a night of drinking......will trash you

liver...

Be careful when using aerosol cleaners. I have to detoxify what you

breathe in, so when you go on a cleaning binge, make sure the room is

well ventilated, or wear a mask.

**********DO NOT USE AEROSOL CLEANERS OF ANY KIND.....use baking soda,

borox, white vinegar to name a few.....

Bug sprays, paint sprays and all those other chemical sprays you use can

harm me too. Be careful what you breathe.

********I removed ALL chemicals from my home when I was diagnosed 5 yrs ago

with two cancers......PESTICIDES ARE THE WORST.....

Watch what gets on your skin! (Those insecticides you put on trees and

shrubs to kill bugs can get to me right through your skin and destroy

some cells.) Remember, they're serious chemicals.

*********Learn to READ LABELS...

HEPATITIS B & C - CONTAGIOUS VIRAL INFECTIONS THAT CAUSE CHRONIC LIVER

DISEASE

Use caution and common sense regarding intimate contact. (Hepatitis

viruses live in body fluids, including blood and seminal fluid.)

The hepatitis B virus also lives in saliva and, unlike the AIDS virus,

can be transmitted through this fluid with relative ease. If you were

stuck with a needle used by a person with AIDS, you'd have a one in

2,000 chance of picking up the AIDS virus. But if that person had

hepatitis B, your chances of picking up the virus increase to one in

four!

Hepatitis C, spread primarily through direct blood contact, can be

transmitted through contaminated needles used in tattooing, body

piercing, or IV drug injection.

********Less than one percent have transmitted hepC sexually, however HepB

is very contagious.....

Untreated, chronic hepatitis B and C can cause cirrhosis and liver

cancer and is the most frequent reason for liver transplants.

*******I know of thousands who have treated HepB & HepC alternatively, who

are doing quiet well......however DIET IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.....the western

medicine treatments can make you sicker.....yes in 20% of the time you can

become negative, BUT the side effects you suffer from is in some cases worse

than the disease itself...

Many infected people do not have symptoms until liver damage occurs,

sometimes many years later.

********TRUE.....plus those with severe liver damage will sometimes have

NORMAL enzyme liver tests....

Teach your children what a syringe looks like and tell them to leave it

alone.

Never, ever, touch a discarded syringe or needle. An insidious Disease

Over 5 million Americans have hepatitis B or C, resulting in an

estimated 13,000 to 15,000 deaths annually. Yet many people do not know

they are infected until serious liver damage occurs because they have

few, if any, symptoms. Who's at greater risk of contracting hepatitis B

or C? How do you find out if you're a carrier? Here are the answers.

If you or your family has immigrated from Africa, Southeast Asia,

Mediterranean countries, or the Caribbean, where hepatitis B affects up

to 15% of the population, you should have a blood test to determine if

you are a carrier. Your doctor can arrange this for you.

*******Be very careful with vaccination for HepB and HepC.....I know of

several Lymies ended up with Lyme disease from their vaccinations for these

two.....

If you received a blood transfusion prior to 1990, you may have

hepatitis C. As many as 300,000 people may have been infected in this

way before the test for hepatitis C was developed.

WHO ELSE SHOULD BE TESTED FOR HEPATITIS B and C?

Users of intravenous drugs, particularly those who share their needles.

Men or women who have multiple sexual partners.

Health care (including ambulance) workers.

Staff of institutions for people with developmental disabilities.

Firefighters, police officers, mortuary attendants or daycare workers.

If anyone in your family or a sexual partner tests positive for the

hepatitis B virus, ask your doctor to test you for the virus. if the

test is negative, your doctor will vaccinate you against the virus. A

simple series or three vaccinations over six months will protect you

against the virus for many years.

IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR HEPATITIS B or C...

Consult your doctor. He or she will determine whether you have liver

disease and if you need referral to a specialist.

If you have hepatitis B, have your family tested. Those who have never

contracted hepatitis B should be vaccinated.

Ask your doctor to screen for liver cancer in order detect tumors while

they are still small and treatable.

If you are a pregnant, hepatitis B-infected mother, you can pass the

infection to your infants around the time of birth. More than 90% of

this form of transmission can be prevented by vaccination of the baby.

EAT FOR HEALTH!

Since everything we eat must pass through the liver, special attention

to nutrition and diet can help keep me healthy. Here are some tips on

eating for health healthy liver, healthy you!

Eat a well balanced, nutritionally adequate diet. if you enjoy foods

from each of the four food groups, you will probably obtain the

nutrients you need.

Cut down on the amount of deep-fried and fatty foods you and your

family consume. Doctors believe that the risk of gallbladder disorders

(including gallstones, a liver-related disease) can be reduced by

avoiding high-fat and cholesterol foods.

Minimize your consumption of smoked, cured and salted foods. Taste your

food before adding salt! Or try alternative seasonings in your cooking

such as lemon juice, onion, vinegar, garlic, pepper, mustard, cloves,

sage or thyme.

MEAT, FISH, POULTRY & ALTERNATIVES PROVIDE: protein vitamin A iron

vitamin B12 niacin fiber thiamin

BREAD & CEREALS PROVIDE: carbohydrate niacin thiamin iron

riboflavin fiber

FRUITS & VEGETABLES PROVIDE: vitamin A vitamin C iron fiber

folacin

MILK & MILK PRODUCTS PROVIDE: calcium riboflavin niacin folacin

vitamin A vitamin B12 vitamin D

Increase your intake of high-fiber foods such as fresh fruits and

vegetables, whole grain breads, rice and cereals. A high-fiber diet is

especially helpful in keeping me healthy

Rich desserts, snacks and drinks are high in calories because of the

amount of sweetening (and often fat) they contain. Why not munch on

some fruit instead?

Keep your weight close to ideal. Medical researchers have established a

direct correlation between obesity and the development of gallbladder

disorders.

If you are dieting to lose weight, make sure that you are still getting

all the vitamins and minerals your body - and I! - need to function

properly

A regular exercise routine, two or three days a week, will help keep me

healthy, too.

TROUBLE SIGNS

Here are some signs of liver trouble. If you experience any of these

symptoms, please contact your doctor:

Yellow discoloration of the skin or eyes

Abdominal swelling or severe abdominal pain

Prolonged itching of the skin

Very dark urine or pale stools-, or the passage of bloody or tar-like

stools

Chronic fatigue, nausea or loss of appetite " I can't and won't tell you

I'm in trouble until I'm almost at the end of my rope... and yours.

Learn to listen to your body - I may be telling you something. "

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE LIVER DISEASE...

Follow your doctor's advice on food, exercise and other lifestyle

guidelines. Learn about liver disease and understand how your diet

helps you. Learn what and how much you can eat and drink.

Contact the American Liver Foundation for a listing of chapters near

you. join the chapter -talking to other people who are also affected by

liver disease will help.

Invite family and close friends to attend chapter meetings or any

learning sessions your local chapter may hold.

THE LIMITATIONS OF TRANSPLANTS

While transplants are not the answer for eliminating liver disease (We

need to find cures!), transplants are the only hope for survival many

liver disease patients have. But there just are not enough organ donors

to meet the demand.

Consider donating your organs in the event of your death. You can sign

the organ donor card on your driver's license if your state has such a

program or obtain an organ donor card from the American Liver

Foundation. Be sure to discuss your wishes with your family and your

family doctor. AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION

See your doctor for a check-up on a regular basis. Remember, prevention

is always the best medicine.

Take care of yourself in everything you do. Be a healthy " live " r - keep

a healthy liver.

American Liver Foundation 1425 Pompton Avenue Cedar Grove, NJ 07009

1-800-GO LIVER (465-4837) The American Liver Foundation is a national

voluntary health organization dedicated to preventing, treating, and

curing hepatitis and other liver and gallbladder diseases through

research and education.

The information contained in this sheet is provided for information

only. This information does not constitute medical advice and it should

not be relied upon as such. The American Liver Foundation (ALF) does

not engage in the practice of medicine. ALF, under no circumstances,

recommends particular treatments for specific individuals, and in all

cases recommends that you consult your physician before pursuing any

course of treatment. Copyright © 1997 The American Liver Foundation

American Liver Foundation