Hepatitis

Hepatitis

What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, usually due to viral infection or alcohol abuse. The condition can be a short episode (acute) or a prolonged illness (chronic). There are many hepatitis viruses; the three most common are called hepatitis A, B and C.
What causes hepatitis and who is at risk?
Hepatitis is most commonly caused by hepatitis viruses or excessive alcohol intake. Hepatitis may occasionally be caused by exposure to certain chemicals or drugs.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is spread by ingesting substances contaminated with the hepatitis A virus, including food and water, or using contaminated cutlery or crockery. Contamination is usually due to poor hygiene, especially unwashed hands after using the toilet.
Symptoms usually appear about two weeks after contact with the virus. After the initial phase, which may last from a few days to several weeks, the symptoms subside.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a more serious condition. It often leads to chronic hepatitis and extensive liver damage. It may lead to cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver and is a major cause of liver cancer.
Hepatitis B virus is spread through body fluids, such as blood, semen, saliva and vaginal secretions. The most common routes of infection are sexual contact with an infected person and contaminated needles used for intravenous drug abuse.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C also spreads via body fluids. The most common routes of infection are sexual contact and using contaminated needles for intravenous drug abuse.
Effective blood- screening procedures have greatly reduced the chances of hepatitis C infection from blood transfusions.
The effects of hepatitis C are initially less severe than those of the A and B forms. The symptoms usually appear between one and 10 weeks after exposure and often jaundice does not develop.
Other types of infections
Alcoholic hepatitis
Alcoholic liver disease is one of the major causes of death in the Western world, and the harmful effects of excessive alcohol intake should never be underestimated. Hepatitis caused by alcohol may be acute or chronic, and contributes to cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver.
Drug-induced hepatitis
Various drugs, if taken in deliberate overdose, may cause hepatitis; the most common in the UK is paracetamol. The outcome depends on the quantity taken and the time until treatment is administered in hospital; death can occur months later from liver failure.
What are the common symptoms and complications of hepatitis?
In some cases, people with hepatitis have no symptoms at all. However, many attacks of acute hepatitis produce a range of flu- like symptoms at first, including:

Fatigue

Headache

Loss of appetite

Nausea or vomiting

Fever

What is the treatment for hepatitis?
You may need to have blood tests for several months to monitor the progress of the disease. Treatment of alcoholic hepatitis involves withdrawal of alcohol and subsequent management of alcohol addiction.
Self-care action plan
To prevent the spread of viral hepatitis and protect you against infection:

Always wash your hands thoroughly after going to the toilet and before preparing food

When sanitation is questionable, boil water before drinking it and avoid uncooked food or food washed in water that has not been boiled

Do not expose yourself to the bodily fluids (blood, semen, vaginal secretions, saliva) of individuals infected with hepatitis B or C

Avoid excessive alcohol intake

Heterosexually promiscuous or having sex with a promiscuous partner

A sexually active gay male

HIV positive

An intravenous drug user

A health care or dental worker