Often while drinking and eating on the streets, from unsafe locations, and unknown vendors, you must have heard warning from well wishers to check that the food doesn’t contain hepatitis germs or contaminants. Besides threats like diarrhea and food poisoning, hepatitis is also a growing threat worldwide, and people die every year due to illnesses caused by it. The reasons are late diagnosis, late treatment, and many a times, wrong diagnosis and application of wrong medicines. Hence, it’s good to know what this liver affecting disease is all about. It will help you stay careful and safe.
Types of Hepatitis viruses
Hepatitis is one kind of infection or inflammation that occurs in the liver, and can affect people of any race, sex, and age. Hepatitis virus has mainly five kinds namely Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis D. B and C are known to cause a chronic form of the disease and kill many every year. It spreads like an epidemic, and is highly contaminating. Liver Cancer and liver cirrhosis happens due to this disease.
The hepatitis A virus
The excreta of the infected person contain the virus, and it gets spread through unhealthy contact with the excreta in any way, or through food and drinks which have been contaminated. Oral sex is also one way the virus gets spread. A strong immune system can kill the infection quickly. However, if you are staying in a non hygienic condition with poor sanitation, you are most likely to get a severe form of the infection.
The hepatitis B virus
Infected body fluids like blood, saliva, semen, pus etc. can lead to further contamination of the virus. The virus can get transferred to the infant during child birth if mother is the carrier, and also from other adults in the family to the child. Medical workers who are constantly exposed to the risk of getting pricked by infected syringes may get this infection from one.
The hepatitis C virus
This also gets transferred through exposure to the infected blood. Sexual contact normally does not spread this virus.
The hepatitis D virus
This virus attacks only those patients who already are infected with the Hepatitis B. When Hepatitis D attacks, the presence of both the viruses in the body makes the case very critical and the infection becomes worse.
The hepatitis E virus
This form is spread when you take contaminated food. Hepatitis E is more common in the developing nations of the world.
Other factors that spread Hepatitis
Hepatitis can also be spread due to other reasons like excessive drug abuse, alcohol consumption, drug interactions, autoimmune disorders, and other toxins.
The common symptoms of Hepatitis are:
• Low fever
• Dark color urine
• Body muscle fatigue
• Pain in the abdomen
• Lack of appetite
• Pale or clay colored stool
• Weight loss without significant reasons
• Skin and eyes turn mild to severe yellow
If you face few or all of these symptoms, you must see a doctor, and get your blood tested for hepatitis. Timely diagnosis is the best way to start early treatment and save lives.
