Ataque De Higado

EdRooney

EdRooney

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Burning cultural question:

Every Argentine I know has at some point complained of having an "ataque de higado" or some other such liver ailment. I first translated this in my brain as 'heartburn,' but the more I ask around about what is actually ailing them, the less sure I am.

I can't recall ever having heard anyone in EEUU or Britain complaining of liver pain. Would any of you lovely individuals have a more educated guess at what they are referring to?

Thanks and may God bless all of your livers,

Ed
 
I believe "ataque de higado" is actually referring to a gallstones attack -- If I'm right on this, I understand the frequency with which you would hear it -- gall pain can come after any meal heavy in cholesterol -- ie nice asado could cause it.
 
Seems to be an Argentine thing. I've often wondered about it myself.
 
I believe it is yet another Italian part of their heritage. May be wrong.

How to avoid getting 'hit by air' in Italy- BBC News Magazine

EDIT- Because people don't have time to read articles:

Soon after I moved here, I remember a friend telling me he was not feeling very well. "My liver hurts," he said.

I have since been assured by doctors that you cannot actually feel your liver, but what really struck me was the fact that he knew where his liver was.
Click to expand...
 
I don't know but it always makes me laugh and I've always wondered the same thing. Often it is when I am cooking for friends and as they observe my free hand with the spices they say, "No, no, por favor — cosas picantes me dan un ataque de higado!"
 
Another Argentine thing -- 'Me bajó la presión'. This means, "I'm not feeling good right now'. I think this phrase is funny. My wife and her family, if they feel bad, have a headache, etc., always blame it on low blood pressure. If that's the case, why is your blood pressure low? How do you know it's low, did you measure it? It's as if you blood pressure is magically prone to going down low every now and then...
 
EdRooney said:
Burning cultural question:

Every Argentine I know has at some point complained of having an "ataque de higado" or some other such liver ailment. I first translated this in my brain as 'heartburn,' but the more I ask around about what is actually ailing them, the less sure I am.

I can't recall ever having heard anyone in EEUU or Britain complaining of liver pain. Would any of you lovely individuals have a more educated guess at what they are referring to?

Thanks and may God bless all of your livers,

Ed
Click to expand...

It means an upset stomach usually. You ate a bunch of heavy stuff with lots of saturated fat and grease, and now your stomach is in rebellion. The real problem is your stomach, and you might have bad breath. It's from eating too much saturated fat and heavy foods.
 
RichardRPTownley said:
I believe it is yet another Italian part of their heritage. May be wrong.

How to avoid getting 'hit by air' in Italy- BBC News Magazine
Click to expand...

I too have heard of this several times, along with "never eat" such-and-such food, or in combination with this food, etc. But then again, I'm always amazed how every ailment known to man is an "allergy" here, or caused by "stress", or somehow has its root in some psychological problem. You always hear how great the medical system is here in Argentina, but in my experience I am deeply unimpressed with the diagnostic skills of doctors I have been in contact with. Bedside manner - great, A++. Caring about the patients and treating them as humans, awesome, A+. Using the scientific method to figure something out and following standardized procedures such as observing sterile fields, C- for 80% of the visits I've had or witnessed or heard about. I'll stick with looking up my symptoms online unless I have a real emergency or am totally stumped about something.
 
Surely it's another of those literal translations that I love so much, not to mention the added drama so beloved of the Argentines.
'Liver attack!' Mars attacks?
I only have to sniffle and her indoors is wielding the thermometer and hey presto 'estas con fiebre', yellow fever no less.
Or if I ask her what her day was like, it could be like this:
'Muy complicado, un desastre, dia de locos....' etc and the next minute, everything's hunky dory.
 
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