world hepatitis day 28th July

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms. In contrast, others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Hepatitis is acute if it resolves within six months, and chronic if it lasts longer than six months. Acute hepatitis can resolve independently, progress to chronic hepatitis, or (rarely) result in acute liver failure. Chronic hepatitis may progress to liver scarring (cirrhosis), liver failure, and liver cancer.

Hepatovirus? A,B,C ,D, and E are the most common culrpits. Other viruses, include cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr Virus, and yellow fever virus. Apart from the viral agents hepatitis can also result from heavy alcohol use, certain medications, toxins, other infections, autoimmune diseases, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Hepatitis A and E are mainly spread by contaminated food and water. Hepatitis B is mainly sexually transmitted, but may also be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth and spread through infected blood. Hepatitis C is commonly spread through infected blood, such as needle sharing by intravenous drug abusers. Hepatitis D can only infect people already infected with hepatitis B.Hepatitis D can only infect people already infected with hepatitis B.

Viral hepatitis was previously described as epidemic jaundice and has been known to exist since ancient civilizations. The contagious nature of the illness was suspected even in the 8th century AD. Records from major military campaigns from the 18th to 20th centuries, including the American Civil War and the First and Second World Wars, reported that campaign jaundice caused significant morbidity in the troops and impacted war strategies.

Diagnosis of hepatitis is made on the basis of some or all of the following: a person's signs and symptoms, medical history including sexual and substance use history, blood tests, imaging, and liver biopsy. For viral hepatitis and other acute causes of hepatitis, the person's blood tests and clinical picture are sufficient for diagnosis. In the case of other causes of hepatitis, especially chronic causes, blood tests may not be useful. In this case, liver biopsy is the gold standard for establishing the diagnosis: histopathologic analysis is able to reveal the precise extent and pattern of inflammation and fibrosis.

How can I protect myself against viral hepatitis?

There are many ways you can reduce your chances of getting hepatitis:

• Vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
• ?Condom use during sex.
• Don't share needles to take drugs.
• Practice good personal hygiene such as thorough handwashing with soap and water.
• Don't use an infected person's personal items.
• Take precautions when getting any tattoos or body piercings.
• Take precautions when traveling to areas of the world with poor sanitation. (Make sure to get your vaccines.)
• Drink bottled water when traveling.

It is very important that one takes these preventive measures if you participate in risky behaviors. Preventive steps should be taken, too, if one works in places like nursing homes, dormitories, daycare centers, or restaurants where there you have extended contact with other people and a risk of coming into contact with the disease.

References

?https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031302516313617

https://medlineplus.gov/hepatitis.html

https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/hepatitis

https://gi.org/topics/viral-hepatitis/

https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMra1208937

https://web.archive.org/web/20161111061856/https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/liver-disease/autoimmune-hepatitis/Pages/facts.aspx

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4245-hepatitis-viral-hepatitis-a-b--c#prevention