The Negative Effects Of Hepatitis

The Negative Effects Of Hepatitis
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by certain viruses
and other factors, such as alcohol abuse, some medications, and trauma.
Its various forms affect millions of Americans. Although many cases of
hepatitis are not a serious threat to health, the disease can become
chronic (long-lasting) and can sometimes lead to liver failure and
death.

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus.

Hepatitis A can affect anyone. In the United States, hepatitis A can
occur in situations ranging from isolated cases of disease to
widespread epidemics.

Persons with hepatitis A virus infection may not have any signs or
symptoms of the disease. Older persons are more likely to have symptoms
than children. If symptoms are present, they usually occur abruptly and
may include fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal
discomfort, dark urine, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).
Symptoms usually last less than 2 months; a few persons are ill for as
long as 6 months. The average incubation period for hepatitis A is 28
days

Good personal hygiene and proper sanitation can help prevent
hepatitis A. Vaccines are also available for long-term prevention of
hepatitis A virus infection in persons 2 years of age and older. Immune
globulin is available for short-term prevention of hepatitis A virus
infection in all ages.

Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the
liver. The virus, which is called hepatitis B virus (HBV), can cause
lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer,
liver failure, and death.

Hepatitis B can affect anyone. Each year in the United States, more
than 200,000 people of all ages get hepatitis B and close to 5,000 die
of sickness caused by HBV. If you have had other forms of hepatitis,
you can still get hepatitis B.

You get hepatitis B by direct contact with the blood or body fluids
of an infected person; for example, you can become infected by having
sex or sharing needles with an infected person. A baby can get
hepatitis B from an infected mother during childbirth. Hepatitis B is
not spread through food or water or by casual contact.

There is no cure for hepatitis B; this is why prevention is so
important. Hepatitis B vaccine is the best protection against HBV.
Three doses are needed for complete protection.

Scientists isolated and sequenced the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome
10 years ago. This led to the development of diagnostic tests to
identify people infected with HCV. Almost 4 million people in the
United States or 1.8 percent are persistently infected, and the
Institute of Medicine now includes hepatitis C virus in its list of
emerging infectious diseases. Those with the greatest risk of infection
are individuals who ever experimented with injection drugs, even once
or twice in the distant past, had multiple sexual partners, or received
blood or blood products.

The hepatitis C virus is one of the most important causes of chronic
liver disease in the United States. It accounts for about 20 percent of
acute viral hepatitis, 60 to 70 percent of chronic hepatitis, and 30
percent of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and liver cancer. Almost
4 million Americans, or 1.8 percent of the U.S. population, have
antibody to HCV (anti-HCV), indicating ongoing or previous infection
with the virus. Hepatitis C causes an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 deaths
annually in the United States.

A distinct and major characteristic of hepatitis C is its tendency
to cause chronic liver disease. At least 75 percent of patients with
acute hepatitis C ultimately develop chronic infection, and most of
these patients have accompanying chronic liver disease.

Antiviral drugs such as interferon used alone or in combination with
ribavirin, are approved for the treatment of persons with chronic
hepatitis C. Interferon works in 10 to 20 persons out of 100 treated.
Interferon combined with ribavirin works (on the viral strain that is
mostly found in the U.S.) in about 30-40 persons out of 100. Ribavirin,
when used alone, does not work.

The importance of the human liver in regulating how the body absorbs
and uses nutrients is emphasized by its central position in the body.
It lies between the gastrointestinal tract, where the nutrients are
absorbed, and the major blood vessels that distribute these nutrients
to the body's vital organs, such as the brain, kidneys, heart and
lungs. Indeed, the hepatocyte, or primary liver cell, is involved in
the many ways energy is provided to other cells and how proteins,
carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals are processed for use by the
body.

In addition to overall malnutrition, people with liver disease may
lack specific nutrients. Liver disease that limits the flow of bile
frequently results in the inability to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K.
Vitamin A deficiency, for example, may be diagnosed by certain eye
problems. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of vitamin A deficiency in
children with liver disease is not always straightforward. Low levels
of vitamin A can be due to many factors, including liver disease.
Complicating vitamin A deficiency is a reduction of the child's ability
to fight off infection.

At present, the only means of preventing new cases of hepatitis C
are to screen the blood supply, encourage health professionals to take
precautions when handling blood and body fluids, and inform people
about high-risk behaviors. Programs to promote needle exchange offer
some hope of decreasing the spread of hepatitis C among injection drug
users. Vaccines and immunoglobulin products do not exist for hepatitis
C, and development seems unlikely in the near future because these
products would require antibodies to all the genotypes and variants of
hepatitis C. Nevertheless, advances in immunology and innovative
approaches to immunization make it likely that some form of vaccine for
hepatitis C will eventually be developed.