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Written by- eloquiant Hi everyone! Today, we're going to talk about World Hepatitis Day. I'll give you some information about what Hepatitis is, some symptoms of it, how to prevent it, how one catches it, among many more! So let's dive right in, shall we?
World Hepatitis Day is observed on July 28th every year. This special day was created in order to raise global awareness of a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis D, and Hepatitis E. It aims to raise and encourage prevention, treatment, and diagnoses for this particular disease.
What is Hepatitis? Hepatitis is in the inflammation of the liver, in simple terms. Hepatitis is caused by a virus and it is known mostly as viral Hepatitis. The most common forms of Hepatitis are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis D, and Hepatitis E.
What are some symptoms of Hepatitis? In some cases, there are actually minimal to no symptoms of Hepatitis. If symptoms do occur (which they usually do), they would include the following: Fatigue (Tiredness) Nausea Loss of appetite Stomach Pain Yellowing of skin or eyes (Appearance of Jaundice) Mild fever
However, when Hepatitis B and C transition to chronic, there may be no symptoms for years even. And, by the time symptoms do occur, the liver may already be severely damaged.
Make sure to contact your physician if you exhibit any of these listed symptoms or you suspect you may have Hepatitis.
Hepatitis A
What is Hepatitis A, you ask? Well, Hepatitis A is one of the four very common types of Hepatitis. It is also a quite contagious form of Hepatitis. It can jump from one individual to another in many different locations. Typically, Hepatitis A only causes a very mild illness, so if you catch this particular type of Hepatitis, you will have little to no symptoms and you may not even realize that you are sick at all. This type of virus usually almost goes away on its own. The liver will not be permanently damaged and will slowly heal.
How does Hepatitis A spread? It spreads through food or water, usually. If a person who has contracted Hepatitis didn't wash their hands and touched food right after. Then the infected stool is transferred to the food. And then if you eat the food, there is a good chance you may contract Hepatitis.
Prevent Hepatitis A by always washing your hands, using hand sanitizer, and being careful about the foods and water you consume.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is the second of the four most common types of Hepatitis.
If an adult catches Hepatitis B, they will contract mild symptoms for a short period of time. Hopefully, they will then get better on their own. But, if they are not, then unfortunately, they will have a life-long infection.
However, for infants who catch the virus, 90% will sadly have it for life. Hepatitis B leads to future problems, such as liver damage, liver cancer, and liver failure.
How does this spread? You can contract it through contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who has Hepatitis. It can also happen if you have unprotected sexual intercourse with someone.
You can prevent Hepatitis B by having protected sex, and be careful - don't share razors, toothbrushes... You don't know who is infected and who is not infected.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is the next virus we will talk about. ¼ of the people who catch Hepatitis C will fight off the virus. But, the rest will unfortunately keep it in their body permanently. If you catch a chronic case of Hepatitis C, you will also have very serious complications, including:
Liver Failure Liver Cancer Other problems associated with the Liver
Even though these problems may seem very serious, there are effective and proven treatments to cure Hepatitis C.
How does Hepatitis C spread? The answer to this question is that Hepatitis C spreads through infected blood. Another way of getting exposed to this virus is getting a tattoo with an infected needle. Also, in rare cases, unprotected sexual intercourse can also lead to Hepatitis C. HIV disease is another leading factor to catching Hepatitis C.
Be careful and vigilant. Always have protected sex (AT ALL TIMES) and be careful about blood infections. You don't want to catch Hepatitis.
Hepatitis D
Hepatitis D is the delta virus of Hepatitis. It is also an infection that causes the liver to become inflamed. According to the CDC, "Hepatitis D is spread when blood or other body fluids from a person infected with the virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. Hepatitis D can be an acute, short-term infection or become a long-term, chronic infection."
Now that you have learned all about Hepatitis, be careful and follow all the necessary precautions to prevent it. Hope you enjoyed reading this article!
