Viral hepatitis (A, B, C, D, E)
What is the hepatitis virus? Well, the hepatitis virus invades liver cells and causes inflammation in the liver tissue. There are five known hepatitis viruses—hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and hepatitis E, all of which have slightly different presentations, symptoms and severity.
28 July
It's world Hepatitis awareness Day !
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver.
It’s commonly caused by a viral infection, but there are other possible causes of hepatitis.
Other cause include autoimmune hepatitis and hepatitis that occurs as a secondary result of medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol.
In Autoimmune hepatitis body makes antibodies against liver tissue .
Liver performs many critical functions : -Synthesis of blood proteins, such as albumin
-Filtering of toxins from body
-Synthesis of clotting factors
-Bile production
5 types of viral hepatitis
Hepatitis A, B, C, D, & E
A different virus is responsible for each type of the virally transmitted hepatitis.
Hepatitis A is always an acute, short-term disease,
while hepatitis B, C, and D are most likely to become ongoing and chronic.
Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is caused by an infection with the hepatitis A virus (HAV).
Hepatitis A is most commonly transmitted by consuming food or water contaminated by feces from a person infected with hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with infectious body fluids, such as blood or Body secretions containing the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Hepatitis C Hepatitis C is transmitted through direct contact with infected body fluids
Hepatitis C is most common among intravenous drug abusers
Hepatitis D Also called delta hepatitis, hepatitis D is a serious liver disease caused by the hepatitis D virus (HDV).
Hepatitis D is a rare form of hepatitis that only occurs in conjunction with hepatitis B infection.
Hepatitis E
Hepatitis E is mainly found in areas with poor sanitation and typically results from ingesting fecal matter that contaminates the water supply.
Symptoms may not occur until the damage affects liver function.
-fatigue
-flu-like symptoms
-dark urine
-Edema
-abdominal pain
-loss of appetite
-unexplained weight loss