Hepatitis (A, B, C)

What is Hepatitis (A, B, C)?

Hepatitis is a condition where the liver becomes inflamed. It can be caused by viral infections, chemicals, drug abuse, medications and immune disorders. There are three types of Hepatitis, and they are Hepatitis A, B and C. This condition is the result of the invasions of the Hepatitis A, B and C viruses respectively.

Each Hepatitis is spread differently, and requires different types of treatment.

Hepatitis A will cause acute inflammation of the liver. It is a self-limiting disease with symptoms lasting for several weeks before the individual can recover completely. It leads to lifelong immunity toward the virus.

Hepatitis B is the most common infection of the liver. Most people who are diagnosed with this condition generally can recover from the infection and develop immunity towards it. There are some people, however, may develop lifelong infection that can lead to serious complications including chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.

Hepatitis C is the main cause of chronic liver disease worldwide as most people who are infected cannot be cured or build immunity toward this virus. This will bring about prolonged liver damage over the years. Similar to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C can lead to chronic Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, Liver Failure and Liver Cancer.

Causes

Hepatitis A virus is transmitted through:

Blood contact, drug use and sexual contact (especially between practising homosexual men) with infected persons
Consuming shellfish from water contaminated with sewerage
Direct contact with food, drinks or objects contaminated with faeces of an infected individual
The “faecal-oral” route in areas of poor hygiene and overcrowding

Hepatitis B virus is generally found in the blood, and it can also be found in the semen and vaginal secretions. It can be acquired through:

Expecting mothers who are infected and transmit the infection to their newborn during childbirth
Other activities that involve contaminated blood entering the bloodstream of a susceptible individual
Sharing contaminated injections among drug users
Unsafe sexual contact with an infected person

Hepatitis C virus is found mainly in the blood and can be transmitted when the blood of an infected person enters the bloodstream of a susceptible person, such as drug users sharing contaminated needles.

Symptoms

Sometimes people who are infected with Hepatitis virus do not show any symptoms. However, there are tell-tale signs such as:

Abdominal pain or discomfort
Dark urine
Decreased appetite
Fever
Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
Lethargy
Nausea and giddiness
Oedema
Painful joints
Pale stools

Treatment

Hepatitis A

There is no specific treatment for Hepatitis A but there are measures to improve your condition:

Avoiding alcohol
Getting plenty of bed rest
Increasing fluid intake
Practising good personal hygiene to prevent faecal-oral transmission to other individuals
Taking prescribed medication if symptoms worsen

Hepatitis B

Treatment will be recommended based on the severity of your condition. Treatment may include:

Anti-viral medication to stop the virus from replicating
Medication to relieve symptoms

Hepatitis C

Treatments are aimed to delay its complications including:

Anti-viral medication to stop the virus from replicating
Avoiding alcohol consumption as it can increase the liver damage
Regular screening for liver cancer for Hepatitis C carriers, especially those who have Liver Cirrhosis

Complications and Related Diseases

Early death
Liver Cancer
Liver Cirrhosis
Liver failure