What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver.
There are many conditions and diseases that can cause inflammation of the liver, such as autoimmune diseases, alcoholism, drugs and chemicals. Many viruses, such as cytomegalovirus and mononucleosis virus can also cause liver irritation. Some viruses do not attack the liver.
The most common hepatitis virus types are HAV, HBV and HCV.
Hepatitis viruses multiply mainly in the liver cells, rendering the liver unable to perform its functions.
The main function of the liver is to purify the blood by converting harmful chemicals into harmless ones, from internal chemicals, such as bilirubin or ammonia. And externally, such as drugs or alcohol, the liver breaks down all these harmful chemicals into smaller chemicals or other chemicals that are then eliminated from the body in the urine or faeces.
Liver produces many important substances, such as proteins, that are essential for health. For example, it produces albumin, the body's protein building block, as well as proteins that are useful for blood clotting properly.
Liver stores many fats, sugars and vitamins until they are needed elsewhere in the body.
Liver makes smaller chemicals into larger and more complex chemicals that are needed elsewhere in the body. Such as the formation of cholesterol, fat and protein bilirubin etc.
When the liver becomes inflamed, the liver cannot perform all these functions well, thus bringing about many of the symptoms, signs and problems associated with hepatitis.
What are the types of viral hepatitis?
There are many types of viral hepatitis, such as HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV and HEV etc.
The most common viral hepatitis types are HAV, HBV, and HCV.
In this HAV was considered to be acute viral hepatitis because this hepatitis HAV infection rarely causes permanent liver damage leading to hepatic (liver) failure.
Inflammation of the liver, usually caused by the hepatitis A, B, and C viruses.
Many conditions and diseases cause inflammation of the liver such as a virus attacking the liver mainly they are called hepatitis virus. Hepatitis virus A, B, C, D and E types of hepatitis viruses are the most common.
Hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D and E All types of hepatitis viruses cause acute hepatitis.
Hepatitis viruses B and C cause chronic hepatitis.
What are the 5 types of hepatitis?
There are many types of viral hepatitis, such as
HAV,
HBV,
HCV,
HDV & HEV etc.
Acute Viral Hepatitis
Symptoms of acute viral hepatitis include feeling tired, flu symptoms, dark urine, light colored stools, fever and jaundice; However, acute viral hepatitis is characterized by minimal symptoms.
Chronic Viral Hepatitis
Symptoms of chronic viral hepatitis are usually mild, and diagnosis of chronic hepatitis is often delayed by treatment.
Chronic viral hepatitis often requires treatment to prevent liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure.
Hepatitis infection can be prevented by avoiding exposure to the virus and through injectable immunoglobulins, or by vaccines; However, vaccines are available only for hepatitis A and B.
Hepatitis A (HAV)
Hepatitis caused by HAV is an acute viral hepatitis that does not become chronic. Hepatitis A was called "infectious hepatitis" because it spreads easily from person to person, like other viral infections. Infection with viral hepatitis A is spread through ingestion of food or water.
Hepatitis B (HBV)
The only way HBV is spread is through blood or serum containing the virus. Now this HBV can be spread by sexual contact, transfer of blood or serum through shared needles among drug abusers, accidental needle sticks with needles contaminated with infected blood, blood transfusion, hemodialysis, and by infected mothers. your newborns. The infection is also spread through tattooing, piercing and sharing razors and toothbrushes, and can infect others as long as they remain infected. Patients with chronic HBV infection are also at risk of developing cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.
Hepatitis C (HCV)
Hepatitis C HCV is most commonly spread by shared needles between drug abuse, blood transfusions, hemodialysis and needle sticks. Patients with chronic HCV infection can continue to infect others. Patients with chronic HCV infection are at increased risk of developing cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.
Type D and E Hepatitis
There are viral hepatitis types D and E. The most important of these is the hepatitis D virus (HDV), better known as the delta virus. It is alittle virus that needs concomitant infection with HBV to survive. HDV cannot survive on its own because it requires a protein that HBV makes. Enables it to infect liver cells. The way HDV is spread is by shared needles between drug abuse, contaminated blood, and sexual contact; Essentially the same as HBV.
Individuals who already have a chronic HBV infection can get HDV infection at the same time as they get the HBV infection, or later. People with chronic hepatitis caused by HBV and HDV rapidly develop cirrhosis (severe liver scarring). In addition, the combination of HDV and HBV virus infections is very difficult to treat.
Hepatitis virus (HEV) is similar to HAV in terms of illness and occurs mainly in Asia where it is transmitted through contaminated water.
What are the symptoms of viral hepatitis?
Symptoms of Hepatitis -
If the infection becomes chronic, that is, the infection lasts for more than months, symptoms of chronic liver disease may begin.
The length of time between exposure to hepatitis and the onset of illness varies widely depending on the hepatitis virus. Hepatitis A virus duration of about 15 to 45 days, The duration of hepatitis B virus is about 45 to 160 days, The duration of hepatitis C virus is about 2 weeks to 6 months.
Symptoms of Hepatitis
Many patients infected with HAV, HBV and HCV have few or no symptoms of the disease. some symptoms such as loss of appetite,
Nausea,
Vomiting,
Fever,
Weakness,
Fatigue,
Stomach ache,
Dark urine,
Light colored stools,
Fever and jaundice etc.
What is acute hepatitis?
Sometimes a person with acute infection with HAV and HBV has liver failure, developing severe inflammation of the liver.
What is chronic viral hepatitis?
Patients infected with hepatitis B viruse & hepatitis C viruse can develop chronic hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis that lasts for more than 6 months. In chronic hepatitis, the virus lives and multiplies in the liver.
How is viral hepatitis diagnosed?
All types of viral hepatitis can be easily diagnosed by a blood test. Diagnosis of viral hepatitis is based on symptoms and physical findings as well as blood tests for liver enzymes, viral antibodies, and viral genetic material.
Symptoms and physical findings
Acute viral hepatitis is easy to diagnose, but chronic hepatitis is difficult to diagnose. A diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis is likely when a patient develops fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, darkening of urine, and then jaundice, and it is confirmed by blood test.
Patients with chronic hepatitis due to HBV and HCV often have no symptoms or only mild symptoms such as chronic fatigue. Usually these patients do not develop jaundice until the liver damage has progressed. Therefore these patients may not be diagnosed for many years.
Blood Test
Three types of blood tests are done for hepatitis patients. such as,
• Liver enzymes,
• Antibodies to hepatitis virus,
• Viral protein or genetic material (viral RNA or DNA).
Liver enzymes :
Liver enzymes widely There are blood tests used to evaluate patients with hepatitis called aminotransferases. These tests include aspartate aminotransferase (AST or SGOT) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT or SGPT). These enzymes are contained within liver cells. when the liver is damaged The liver cells then release enzymes into the blood, and the level of enzymes in the blood rises to indicate that the liver has been damaged.
Viral antibodies :
Antibodies are proteins produced by white blood cells to attack invaders such as viruses and bacteria. Antibodies against the hepatitis A, B, and C viruses are usually detected in the blood within a few weeks of infection. Blood testing for antibodies is helpful in the diagnosis of both acute and chronic viral hepatitis.
In acute viral hepatitis, they help to eliminate the virus, and protect the patient from future infection by the same virus, ie the patient develops immunity.
In acute viral hepatitis, they help to eliminate the virus, and protect the patient from future infection by the same virus, ie the patient develops immunity.
Viral antibody tests such as
• Anti-HAV (hepatitis A antibody),
• Antibodies to the hepatitis B core, an antibody directed against the virus's inner core material (core antigen),
• Antibody to hepatitis virus B surface, an antibody directed against the outer surface envelope of the virus (surface antigen),
• Anti-HAV (hepatitis A antibody),
• Antibodies to the hepatitis B core, an antibody directed against the virus's inner core material (core antigen),
• Antibody to hepatitis virus B surface, an antibody directed against the outer surface envelope of the virus (surface antigen),
• Antibodies to hepatitis B E, an antibody directed against the genetic material of the virus (E antigen), Hepatitis C antibodies,
• Antibodies against the C virus.
Viral protein and genetic material Testing of viral protein and genetic material such as
Hepatitis B surface antigen,
Hepatitis B DNA,
Hepatitis b e antigen,
Hepatitis C RNA,
Other tests :
• Obstruction of the bile ducts,
• From gallstones or cancer,
• Ultrasound tests to rule out the possibility of gallstones or cancer.