Viral hepatitis refers to liver damage which cause by a viral infection. The viruses causing hepatitis have been label A,B,C,D and E and all are very different from each other.
Hepatitis A and E are spread by contaminate food and water, while Hepatitis B and C viruses are spread by coming in contact with infect blood. Hepatitis B can also be sexually transmit or passed on from mother to her child.
World Hepatitis Day is observe on 28th July 2021 in honour of the birth of Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the Hepatitis B virus.
Theme for this year is “Hep can’t wait” means people living with hepatitis can’t wait for testing and treatment and the ongoing pandemic should not take the focus off a disease that kills a person every six seconds.
Hepatitis A and E usually cause acute or short lived Hepatitis (<6 weeks).
The body fights off the infection and the liver recovers fully.
Hepatitis B,C and viruses may cause chronic or long lasting viral hepatitis where the virus persists in the liver and gradually damages it over years.
Acute hepatitis is initially characterise by a flu-like illness with symptoms like fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and body aches.
After a few weeks this is follow by jaundice, dark colour urine and abdominal pain and discomfort cause by a painfully-enlarged liver.
At this time the Liver Function Tests (LFT’s) will be abnormal and blood tests can identify the viral infection.
A patient with chronic hepatitis can be symptom-free for several years but liver damage is ongoing.
When extensive liver damage follow by scarring of liver (cirrhosis) occurs the patients develop symptoms of liver failure like jaundice, accumulation of fluid inside the abdomen, and a tendency to bruise and bleed easily.
Liver failure can also cause life threatening complications like gastrointestinal bleeding,
Hepatic encephalopathy i.e increased ammonia in blood causing brain dysfunction can damage to the kidneys.
Cirrhosis also predisposed the individual to liver cancer.
Vaccines are effective in prevention of Hepatitis A, B and D.
For those who are already infect for them effective drugs are available for treatment of hepatitis B and C infections.
When there is already severe damage a liver transplantation becomes the only hope for survival.
Covid-19 and Liver Disease
Many patients hospitalised with Covid-19 have shown abnormal liver function tests indicating that the liver may be temporarily damage due to the infection.
People with pre-existing diseases are at higher risk of developing complications those with liver disease are also more likely to develop severe illness from Covid-19.
Vaccination for Covid-19 in patients with liver disease has not shown any specific side effects.
All the liver disease associations strongly recommend that patients with liver disease should take the Covid-19 vaccine.
Even after taking the vaccines continuing measures like social distancing, practicing hand hygiene and wearing a mask is the best way to keep oneself safe.
WARNING : If the problem isn’t solved by lifestyle changes alone then don’t hesitate to consult a doctor as this article is for knowledge base.
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