Following my last article on hepatitis, I realized that little is known about the liver. The essence of this article is to emphasize the importance of the liver and why everyone should take the vaccine to prevent hepatitis.
The liver is located in the right upper area of your abdomen. It performs many critical functions that affect metabolism throughout your body, including:
Viral infections of the liver that are classified as hepatitis include hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. A different virus is responsible for each type of virally transmitted hepatitis.
Hepatitis A is always an acute, short-term disease, while hep B, C, and D are most likely to be ongoing and chronic. Hep E is usually acute but can be particularly dangerous in pregnant women.
Hepatitis A is caused by HAV. This type of hepatitis is commonly transmitted by consuming food or water contaminated by feces from a person infected with hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with infectious body fluids, such as blood, vaginal secretions, or semen, containing the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Injection drug use, having sex with an infected partner, or sharing razors with an infected person increases your risk of getting hepatitis B.
It comes from HCV. Hepatitis C is transmitted through direct contact with infected body fluids, typically through injected drug use and sexual contact.
It is also called delta hepatitis. Hepatitis D is a serious liver disease caused by HDV. It is contracted through direct contact with infected blood. Hepatitis D is a rare form of hepatitis that only occurs in conjunction with hepatitis B infection. The HDV can’t multiply without the presence of hepatitis B.
Hepatitis E is a waterborne disease caused by HEV. It is mainly found in areas with poor sanitation and typically results from ingesting fecal matter that contaminates the water supply.
If you have the infectious forms of hepatitis that are chronic, like hepatitis B and C, you may not have symptoms in the beginning. Symptoms may not occur until the damage affects the liver.
Signs and symptoms of acute hepatitis appear quickly. They include:
Chronic hepatitis develops slowly, so these signs and symptoms may be too subtle to notice.
To diagnose hepatitis, first, your doctor will take your history to determine any risk factors you may have for infectious hepatitis, followed by the doctor’s examination
Liver function tests use blood samples to determine how efficiently your liver works. Abnormal results of these tests may be the first indication that there is a problem, especially if you don’t show any signs on a physical examination of liver disease. High liver enzyme levels indicate that your liver needs to be checked
Chronic hepatitis B or C can often lead to more serious health problems. Because the virus affects the liver, people with chronic hepatitis B or C are at risk of:
When your liver stops functioning normally, liver failure can occur.
People with chronic hepatitis B and C are encouraged to avoid alcohol because it can accelerate liver disease and failure. Certain supplements and medications can also affect liver function. If you have chronic hepatitis B or C, check with your doctor before taking any new medications.