What
is Hepatitis?
What is
Hepatitis?
Despite great advances in medical science, Hepatitis still remain
a major medical disease prevalent in the world especially
in third world countries where there is a general lower quality
of food preparation standards or where basic health screening
is not prevalent.
Did you know that there is an estimated
270 to 300 million infected
people
worldwide with Hepatitis
and
9 out of
10
people
infected
are not aware?
Hence, even if you are living in a developed
country, you will still need to be familiar with this medical
condition especially if you travel a lot to lesser developed
countries either for work or for pleasure!
There are three types of Hepatitis,
A, B and C. The Hepatitis C virus
is a liver disease that causes inflammation; and
the word Hepatitis is in fact the Latin word for inflammation.
Most medical experts believe we are suffering
from an epidemic of Hepatitis C. The problem with Hepatitis
C is that a patient
can be infected for decades before the virus is discovered,
meaning someone infected with Hepatitis C can pass the virus
on to others
without knowledge. Symptoms of type C Hepatitis
It takes one to six months for the virus to pass through
its incubation period before symptoms may appear. Only one
in ten
patients actually has symptoms or signs that they could be
infected, the other nine do not have any symptoms at all.
The symptom found most common in
patients infected with Hepatitis C is fatigue; usually
the initial
diagnosis is Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome, the diagnosis of Hepatitis C is normally found
later on. Early symptoms for Hepatitis C include
• Aching muscles and joints
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Loss of appetite or poor appetite
• Tiredness
• Aching or pressure under the right rib
• Intolerance of alcohol
• Weight loss
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dark Urine
• Light colored excrement
• Anxiety
In two thirds of cases, Hepatitis
C can last longer than
6 months, which is called Chronic Hepatitis C.
How is Hepatitis C contracted?
The origin of how a person contracted Hepatitis C in half
of all cases is never found.
About thirty-five percent of infections
are transmitted by blood-to-blood contact; this is normally
through
sharing needles while using
recreational drugs. Although rare, a small proportion of infections
are contracted by
• Non-sterile body piercing and tattoo equipment
• Sexual intercourse
• Swapping bodily fluids like saliva
• Sharing toothbrushes or razors
• Blood transfusions in countries where screening for Hepatitis
C is not carried out
Treating Hepatitis C If the infection is found in time, before
it evolves into chronic Hepatitis C, the infection can be treated
by regular
visits
to the doctor and following the doctors advice of
changing your
diet, regular exercise and not drinking alcohol.
Drug therapy is needed for those who suffer
with chronic Hepatitis C. There are two drugs that are
normally
combined to form treatment
for long-term sufferers, Interferon and Ribavirin,
which are antiviral drugs.
Those who take a full course of Interferon
and Ribavirin (usually 6 months to a year) have a
55% chance of
sustained improvement.
There are negative affects to Interferon and
Ribavirin; they can be so severe that patients find them
intolerable.
The
negative effects are body aches, fatigue, hair
loss, mood swings, depression,
and blood conditions among others.
Summary
Should you feel that you have any of the symptoms
named above than it may be beneficial to consult
your doctor,
as early
detection is more likely to give you a better
chance of coping with it
and possibly receiving treatment to prevent
further damage.
If you are found to suffer with Hepatitis C
it can be a trying time, with support from
your
doctor you
can
lead
a normal
life.
|
Healthcare
Article 
Health
Article - Hepatitis A, B, C
Hepatitis guide
