What is hepatitis and what to do in order not to be left without a liver

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Hepatitis kills 1.5 million people a year. Many are simply not aware that they are in danger: only 5% of chronic patients know what they are sick with. Where hepatitis is hiding and how not to get it, read the Lifehacker's help.

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, a condition in which its cells either do not work or die. The causes of hepatitis are different, as are the consequences.

If you have suffered acute hepatitis and recovered, then you will have to follow a strict diet for six months or a year and follow the regimen. If the disease becomes chronic, it leads to cirrhosis and liver cancer. And impetuous forms that develop quickly and strongly are deadly.

Why does hepatitis appear?

Hepatitis can develop due to poisoning, including alcohol. Or maybe because of viruses that target the liver. Basically, these are five types of viruses: A, B, C, D, E. They are very different, from symptoms to treatment.

How is hepatitis spread?

It depends on the type of virus. A and E are transmitted with contaminated water and food.

Hepatitis C is spread through the blood. Non-sterile injections, untreated instruments (even in dentistry or in a nail salon), contaminated donor blood help him in this. Babies can be infected from the mother during childbirth. Rarely, hepatitis C is sexually transmitted, in contrast to hepatitis B, which passes from partner to partner during sexual intercourse.

This virus also has access to the same pathways as hepatitis C: blood, needles, instruments. Hepatitis B is a resistant virus that can live for a long time on objects contaminated with blood (unlike HIV, which dies quickly).

Hepatitis D clings to people who are already infected with hepatitis B and complicates the disease. It is transmitted in the same way as hepatitis B: through blood and through sexual intercourse.

I wash my hands, do not drink or smoke, can I get sick?

If we are talking about hepatitis A and E, then you will be at risk if you go to a country where everything is bad with hygiene. Or if you do not wash your hands often enough and forget that it is better to boil water.

And in the case of hepatitis B, C, D, everyone who goes to the dentist, is sexually active and does manicure, piercing or tattoos are at risk.

Do you have any vaccinations?

Yes, but not all viruses. Hepatitis A and E can be fought with vaccinations, or it is possible - by observing the rules of sanitation.

There is a safe vaccination against hepatitis B, it is included in our vaccination schedule. It also protects against hepatitis D.

There are no vaccinations for hepatitis C.

How, then, can you protect yourself from hepatitis?

Get vaccinated from those that are available.

Be sure to follow all the hygiene rules when you prepare food. Be doubly careful if you are traveling in Africa, Asia, developing countries.

Carefully ensure that sterile instruments are used in medical facilities and in any beauty parlors or tattoo studios. All single-use packaging should be opened with you, as well as removed sterilized instruments from bags and boxes. Unfortunately, we cannot check whether the sterilization was carried out correctly.

Therefore, you need to donate blood at least once a year and find out if everything is in order.

How do I know if I'm sick?

Hepatitis, if it develops gradually, initially manifests itself as feeling unwell and yellow skin. A yellow tint appears in the whites of the eyes. Appetite is lost, and after it the weight, the person is nauseated. Joints may hurt, the skin itches, especially at night. All this happens because the liver is not doing its job.

With these symptoms, you need to go to a doctor who will notice other signs of hepatitis and carry out tests.

There are exceptions. Sometimes hepatitis proceeds rapidly, with internal bleeding and the development of coma (this is more true for hepatitis B).

And sometimes for years it does not declare itself in any way, gradually destroying the liver, like hepatitis C. Since the liver itself does not hurt, it is impossible to notice inflammation without regular tests.

What if I have hepatitis?

The treatment regimen depends on the type of virus. There are no special medications for most hepatitis: you need to help the body cope with the virus and the consequences of infection on its own. Therefore, you have to follow a strict diet, make sure that the body does not become dehydrated, and take general antiviral drugs. Treatment can be long, up to six months, and if the disease has become chronic (with hepatitis B and C), then permanent.

Hepatitis C is treated with special drugs, but it is long, difficult and expensive. Many medicines are not available in Russia. You need to stock up on patience and money to overcome the disease.