Hepatitis
By Alexander Gruss
Description
Acute Phase Symptoms(1-6 months):
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Mild fever
- Muscle or joint aches
- Nausea
- Slight abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Circulation problems (only toxic/drug-induced hepatitis)
- Dark urine
- Dizziness (only toxic/drug-induced hepatitis)
- Drowsiness (only toxic/drug-induced hepatitis)
- Enlarged spleen (only alcoholic hepatitis)
- Headache (only toxic/drug-induced hepatitis)
- Hives
- Itchy skin
- Light colored feces, the feces may contain pus
- Yellow skin, whites of eyes, tongue (jaundice)
A- Caused by eating food or water infected with HAV or through oral-anal contact. Most who contract this virus make a full recovery.
B- An STD caused by contact with bodily fluids infected with HBV, unprotected sex, or the sharking of needles..
C- Spread through contact with blood infected with HCV and sometimes through the misuse of anesthetics. Can cause cirrhosis and other liver cancers.
Diagnosis
A- Blood tests to find IgM anti-HAV antibodies.
B- Blood tests (Surface Antigens HBsAg) (Antibody to HBsAg Anti-HBs) (Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen Anti-HBc) (Hepatitis B envelope antigen HBeAg) (Antibody to HBeAg Anti-HBeAg) (Hepatitis B DNA HBV DNA)
C- Tests to identify the virus. Tests to identify genetic types and viral load. Liver Biopsy.
People At Risk
20% of heavy drinkers age 40-60.
10-24% of the population suffers from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Hepatitis A:
- International travelers. Hepatitis A is the hepatitis strain people are most likely to encounter in the course of international travel to developing countries.
- · Day care employees and children. Many cases of hepatitis A occur among day care employees and children who attend day care. Risks can be reduced if hygienic precautions are used, particularly when changing and handling diapers.
- · People living in a household with someone who has hepatitis A
- · Men who have sex with men
- · Users of illegal drug
- People born in regions with high rates of hepatitis B infection.
- People who use injected drugs or who share needles
- Men who have sex with men
- People receiving chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy for certain medical conditions including cancer, organ transplantation, or rheumatologic or intestinal disorders
- Donors of blood, organs, or semen
- Hemodialysis patients
- All pregnant women and infants born to mothers infected with HBV; pregnant women should be screened for HBV at their first neonatal visit
- People who have sex with an infected person or who live in a household with an infected person
- Health care workers and others exposed to blood products and needlestick devices.
- People infected with HIV
- People born between 1945 - 1964.
- Current and former drug injection users. Even if it has been many years since you injected drugs, you should get tested.
- People who received a blood transfusion, blood product, or organ before 1992 when procedures were implemented to screen blood for hepatitis C
- People who received a blood clotting product prior to 1987, when screening procedures were implemented
- People who have liver disease or who have had abnormal liver test results
- Hemodialysis patients
- Healthcare workers who may be exposed to needlesticks
- People infected with HIV
Bibliography
Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
"Hepatitis." University of Maryland Medical Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
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