When many people are angry, they often blurt out, "I'm so angry that my liver hurts!" There is also a saying in traditional medicine that "anger hurts the liver. But is this' liver pain 'a real physical discomfort or a psychological illusion? Does the liver really feel pain when angry? Today, let's talk about this interesting topic - "Liver pain" is different from "liver pain". To answer this question, we need to first understand a phenomenon, that is, people's descriptions of their daily life feelings are often influenced by cultural cognition of the times. For example, ancient people described a person's skin as good and used "skin as if it were condensed fat", while modern people express the same meaning, and some people may use "collagen all over their face". Therefore, what people usually refer to as' liver pain 'caused by anger is not the same as the anatomical pain in the liver itself. Liver lesions usually cause pain, such as hepatitis, liver abscess, and liver cancer. Swelling may increase the tension of the liver capsule, causing patients to feel dull pain in the upper abdomen. At the same time, there may be other discomfort symptoms in the digestive system. The occurrence of these symptoms often goes from mild to severe and does not relieve on its own until the pain is severe enough to raise awareness and urge people to seek medical attention as soon as possible. And what people usually refer to as' liver pain 'from anger is not actually a real problem with the liver, but rather an empirical description of vague abdominal pain. This type of abdominal pain usually occurs quickly, and once the anger subsides, the symptoms also disappear, without serious consequences. Canadian physiologist Sely. H believes that when the body is subjected to harmful stimuli, a series of physiological and biochemical changes occur to activate the overall defense ability of the body, mainly manifested as increased secretion of adrenaline, faster heart rate and breathing, increased blood pressure, sweating, and cold hands and feet. At this time, the whole body's blood is prioritized to supply the heart, brain, lungs, and skeletal muscle system to ensure that the body is in the preparation stage of "combat" or "escape". At this point, there may be temporary functional disorders in the digestive system, such as abdominal pain caused by irregular peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract. Seri's stress theory is of great significance to psychosomatic medicine, and many stress studies have been revised, enriched, and developed based on it. However, this theory has also been found to have some shortcomings by researchers, such as neglecting the psychological components of the stress process. Because stressors such as anger and frustration can be biological, psychological, social, and cultural, stress responses can be both physiological and psychological, and the stress process is influenced by various individual factors. Cognitive evaluation and personal experiences can significantly affect the process and outcome of stress. If a person already has the psychological expectation of "anger can harm the liver", then this person is more likely to experience digestive system related symptoms such as abdominal pain when angry, and this process will in turn strengthen their original understanding of "anger can harm the liver". Therefore, they are naturally prone to frequent "liver pain" from anger. Many diseases are related to negative emotions. In fact, many digestive system diseases are indeed related to negative emotions. For example, peptic ulcer, inflammatory bowel disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, acute stress ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pancreatitis, etc. The relationship between emotions and digestive system diseases is complex, involving both direct physiological mechanisms and indirect psychological factors. For example, long-term anxiety and depression may lead to chronic inflammation of the digestive system, which can further exacerbate emotional problems. In addition, individual psychological resilience and coping abilities also play an important role in it. Some people may be more susceptible to the impact of emotional stress, while others are better able to regulate their emotions, thereby reducing the negative effects on their bodies. There is also a close relationship between emotions and cardiovascular disease. Negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, depression, etc. can activate the sympathetic nervous system, renin-angiotensin system, and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, leading to increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, vasoconstriction, enhanced inflammatory response, and increased oxidative stress. In the 18th century, the medical community had already realized that anger and rage could trigger angina pectoris. For example, the famous British surgeon John Hunter (1728-1793) had his own problem with angina pectoris, and he also found that large emotional fluctuations could cause the onset of angina pectoris. John Hunter is a great doctor who is very good at using every opportunity to observe and learn about diseases. When his angina attacks, he will rush to the mirror to carefully observe his painful expression. But he always couldn't control his temper. In the last year of his life, after conducting an autopsy on a person who died in a fit of rage, he joked that his life was completely in the hands of any villain who would verbally provoke him. Unexpectedly, on October 16, 1793, after a heated debate with others in the conference room of St. George's Hospital, he fell down in pain. This surgeon, who had dissected countless corpses to explore the mysteries of diseases before his death, also dedicated his body to the medical profession after his death - upon dissecting his body, it was found that the lesions in his coronary arteries were already severe. Modern medicine has recognized the impact of emotions on diseases and has implemented a series of comprehensive treatment measures. In addition to traditional medication, psychological therapy and behavioral intervention have gradually become important treatment methods. For example, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help patients identify and change negative emotions, thereby reducing symptoms. In addition, some studies have shown that regulating gut microbiota can also improve emotional states and alleviate symptoms of the digestive system. However, it is worth noting that if the discomfort symptoms related to emotions are severe enough to require medical attention, it is actually difficult to quickly determine which organ's pathological changes are the main cause. Due to the human body's perception of visceral pain, there are often situations where the location is not very accurate. For example, angina is indeed most commonly manifested as chest pain, but there are also some atypical cases that can make patients feel abdominal pain. If the emergency department doctor is experienced, they will preliminarily determine that the patient's problem may be in the heart through basic physical examination. If both the patient and the doctor are unlucky, there is a risk of delayed diagnosis in such atypical cases. How should we deal with anger? Since emotions have such a significant impact on the body, it is particularly important to learn how to deal with anger. According to the advice of Lifestyle Medicine, when angry emotions arise, it is best to think rather than just react. The key is to spend time thinking about the problem to clarify why this anger occurs and what other effects it may have. The focus should be on finding the best way to cope with the current situation. People should not be controlled by anger and should resolve their anger as soon as possible. Ways to deal with anger include actively communicating with the person who caused it, with a focus on solving the problem rather than blaming. There is a classic line in the movie "The Godfather": "Don't hate your enemies, it will affect your judgment." This line not only applies to the plot in the movie, but also to our emotional management in real life. Unfortunately, the eldest son of the old Godfather did not learn this, and his anger not only made him "so angry that his liver ached", but also directly fell into the trap of his opponent and died under the gunfire. But we are all aware that anger is generated in the brain, and the commands that control anger can only be issued by the brain. So, can a knife made of butter still cut the butter itself? Just like when you are angry, someone next to you kindly advises you not to get angry. Will this kind of comfort work? Maybe it's not that easy. But no matter what, if you always get so angry that your liver hurts, similar advice may be worth a try. (Xinhua News Agency) Author | Li Chenchen, Deputy Chief Physician of Thoracic Surgery at Harbin Children's Hospital