Hepatitis

What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, resulting in the destruction of small patches of liver tissue. There are several types of hepatitis, depending on the underlying cause of the inflammation. Symptoms can vary from a mild, flu-like illness, which is the most common, to life-threatening liver failure.

What causes hepatitis?
Viruses are the most frequent cause of hepatitis. Other possible causes of liver inflammation include alcohol, drugs, and certain bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infectoins.

The virus known as Hepatitis A is the cause of many cases of hepatitis. It enters the body through the mouth, grows in the intestines and is shed in the stools. It is usually caught from consuming food contaminated by faecal contact, such as when a person with unclean hands prepares food. It can also be caught by eating shellfish taken from sewage contaminated water.

Hepatitis B, also known as serum hepatitis, is spread by direct contact with infected blood, either from a transfusion, or from other body fluids such as semen. This rarely occurs as a result of blood transfusions nowadays, because modern methods of screening can identify infected blood. Other common causes of viral hepatitis include contact with contaminated needles used by drug abusers, or unprotected sexual intercourse. Hepatitis viruses C,D and E have also been identified.

Hepatitis may also result from complications arising from glandular fever and a number of other infectious diseases.

How is hepatitis diagnosed and treated?
A diagnosis is established by a review of symptoms, along with blood tests for antibodies to the hepatitis viruses. Further blood and urine tests may also show abnormalities indicating liver disease.

In may cases, no special treatment is required, except for bed rest. Appetite usually returns within a few days. People who have hepatitis should not drink alcohol or take any drugs that may effect the liver, and so aggravate the condition.

A sudden, severe from of hepatitis is rare but extremely serious. Coma often develops within hours. This severe from is seen with both hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Even with the best medical care, it can be fatal.

What can I do myself?
You can help control the spread of hepatitis by maintaining cleanliness. Always wash your hands after using the toilet and before preparing or eating food. Dishes, glasses, and utensils used by a person with hepatitis should be kept separate and boiled after they are used. However, the person does not need to be kept isolated.

When should I see my doctor?
You should see your doctor as soon as possible if you have any of the symptoms of hepatitis.

What will the doctor do?
Your doctor will check to see if the liver is enlarged or tender, and will also look for an enlarged spleen. Laboratory tests will be done to determine whether the hepatitis virus is present in your blood, stool, or urine, and to identify which virus is causing the condition.

What is the outlook for sufferers?
Most cases begin with appetite loss, general feelings of discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and fever. The skin may itch and the joints may ache.

After 3-10 days the urine becomes dark, and jaundice appears. This is yellowing of the skin and eyes, due to escessive amounts of bile pigments in the bloodstream. The stools will also become yellowish.

At this point, despite the fact that the jaundice may get worse, other symptoms start to disappear and most people begin to feel better.

Within 1-2 weeks, the jaundice will peak and then fade away during a 2-4 week period of recovery.

People with hepatitis B or hepatitis C may develop a chronic from of the disease. This can be a benign condition with no symptoms, or it can progress to cirrhosis of the liver, or liver failure.

Is hepatitis dangerous?
Hepatitis A is usually mild and generally resolves itself after several weeks with no after-effects. Hepatitis B or hepatitis C can be extremely dangerous, and even fatal. Hepatitis as a complication of other viral diseases, such as glandular fever, is only rarely serious.

SYMPTOMS

• Loss of appetite.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Fever.
• Weakness and fatigue.
• Joint pain.
• Skin irritation.
• Dark urine.
• Yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes jaundice.

What can I do to avoid hepatitis?

• Immunization: People at high risk of Hepatitis B for example, male homosexuals or sexual partners of hepatitis B carriers can now be immunized with a new vaccine against this strain.
• Immune serum globulin: People known to have been exposed to hepatitis A can be given immune serum globulin. There is also a vaccine against Hepatitis A available.
• Personal cleanliness and habits: Maintain good personal hygiene and do not eat food that has been prepared under questionable conditions. Do not abuse drugs or share needles for any purpose.
• Blood transfusions: If receiving a blood transfusion in a foreign country, be sure the blood has been screened for contamination with Hepatitis B.

Tags: hepatitis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C

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