Do You Have Hepatitis? – Things You Should Know About Hepatitis

Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C is viral hepatitis which are diseases that can do damage to the liver. Here are some information about the different types of hepatitis disease and its transference which can make you aware to prevent from becoming infected with it.

Hepatitis A

Symptoms

  • Fatigue
  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Jaundice (dark urine, yellow skin, and eyes)
  • Loss of appetite
  • Fever

Transmission

  • Eating food or drinking water that has been contaminated with feces from an infected person.
  • Contamination through handling of vegetables, fruits, and other food from infected people.
  • Eating raw shellfish that were taken from waters that have been contaminated with the virus.
  • Drinking ice contaminated with the virus.

Highest risk to get the infection

  • Traveling to countries where hepatitis A is a common occurrence
  • Have sex or live with an infected person
  • Teachers and kids in child care
  • Men having sex with men
  • Individuals who use injectable illegal drugs

Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for:

  • People suffering from long-term liver disease
  • Travelers visiting places in the world that shows a high level of hepatitis A infection
  • People who use illegal and injectable drugs
  • Men having sex relations with other men
  • Individuals who have health problems in blood clotting

Hepatitis B

Symptoms

  • Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
  • Fatigue
  • Constipation or diarrhea
  • Mild fever
  • Abdominal pain
  • Loss of appetite
  • Vomiting or nausea
  • Headache
  • Skin rashes
  • Joint pain and muscle aches

Transmission

  • An infected mother can pass the virus to the baby during delivery.
  • Sharing of items such as toothbrushes or razors with an infected person.
  • Not using a condom when having sex with an infected person.
  • Unsterilized tools used in skin piercings and tattoos.
  • Sharing of needles with a person infected with hepatitis B.

Prevention

There is a vaccine available for hepatitis B which could help protect from getting the infection.

Hepatitis C

Symptoms

  • Fatigue
  • Stomach pain
  • Jaundice
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite

Transmission

  • An infected mother can pass it to the baby in childbirth
  • Sharing needles and drugs
  • Accidentally injected by an infected needle
  • Sex particularly when you engage in rough sex, have multiple partners, have an HIV or STD infection

 

Recommendations

You need to get a test for the disease for the following reasons:

  • If you were born between years 1945-1965.
  • If your mother was infected with hepatitis C when she gave birth to you.
  • If you received a blood transfusion from a donor infected with hepatitis C.
  • If you have an HIV infection.
  • If you had an organ transplant or blood transfusion before July 1992.
  • If you inject drugs.
  • If you have clotting problems and have received a blood product to help you with this health problem before 1987.
  • If you are on under a kidney dialysis treatment for a long time.

 

Getting infected with hepatitis C could lead to serious health conditions such as scarring of the liver, liver cancer, and cirrhosis if left untreated. This is one of the main reasons for getting a liver transplant.