World Hepatitis Day

Articles

Jul 2

World Hepatitis Day falls on July 28, and the campaign’s focus is focusing on “finding the missing millions” of people who are living with hepatitis and unaware they are. There are 290 million people estimated worldwide who have been undiagnosed and therefore not receiving care who could lose their lives to this disease. Taking a step toward promoting more awareness will help communities take action to help solve this issue.

What is Hepatitis?

An inflammatory condition, hepatitis generally affects the liver and can have many causes for infection. Some conditions occur due to an autoimmune response or could also be related to certain medications, toxins in the body, or alcohol and drug use. The function of the liver essentially works to remove toxins from your body, and when it is unable to do so, these toxins can create many different symptoms as a result.

Many people live without ever knowing they have hepatitis B or C, and the CDC estimates there are nearly 4.4 million Americans diagnosed and living with this ailment chronically. Immunizations are one option for prevention along with other lifestyle choices that influence potential infection. Five different type of viral hepatitis exist (A, B, C, D, & E) with differing levels of seriousness and length of time for infection.

What Are Warning Signs of Hepatitis?

Although you may experience a range of symptoms, hepatitis symptoms occur when damage is being done to your liver. Disrupted liver function can become apparent through the following symptoms:

flu-like symptoms
loss of appetite
unexplained weight loss
yellow skin and eyes (potentially jaundice)
abdominal pain
pale stool
fatigue

While any of these symptoms might appear sporadically, chronic hepatitis symptoms can develop slowly over time and may be very mild before they become more noticeable.

(from https://www.healthline.com/health/hepatitis#treatment)

How Do You Know If You Have Hepatitis?

It is not likely you will know positively you have some type of hepatitis without a thorough exam. A doctor might look at the risk factors in your lifestyle to determine whether you are likely to contract this disorder. An abdominal exam either through external pressure to feel for an enlarged liver or pain the area, or an ultrasound to obtain imagery of your abdomen is typically necessary. Your doctor may also perform blood tests to determine whether you possess the antibodies in your blood that are commonly associated with an autoimmune response to hepatitis. A biopsy (tissue sample) from your liver can be necessary to gauge the damage and state of health of your liver as well.

What Kind of Treatment Exists for Hepatitis?

Prevention is key with many viral diseases, and vaccines are administered for hepatitis A and B. One way to avoid contracting hepatitis A is to be very conscious of hygiene, especially when traveling to other less-developed countries. Water, ice, and raw foods can become contaminated. Avoid hepatitis B, C, or D by consciously avoiding contact with another persons blood or bodily fluid, needles, razors, toothbrush or dental supplies.

Depending on the type of hepatitis a patient is diagnosed with, treatment may include administering antiviral medications, attention to nutrition choices, lifestyle changes, bed rest, and in extreme cases of liver damage, might necessitate a liver transplant. Typically individuals receiving treatment for hepatitis B or C will require continuous testing for the body’s response to antiviral medications to ensure treatment is effectively reducing symptoms. In cases of autoimmune hepatitis, corticosteroids or immunosuppressant drugs are often used individually or in combination with a generally high effectiveness for most people with this condition (approximately 80%).

Diet and nutrition play a major role in anything related to our health, and managing chronic conditions such as hepatitis can help a person maintain better health by making smart choices with their diet. Choosing to eat high-fiber foods with attention to eliminating any processed snacks or fats is a great first step. Whole grains and naturally colorful foods help create variety while also keeping you feel satisfied with your meals. Avoid overeating and trendy “diets” and instead focus on implementing good habits you can maintain long term rather than for a single goal in the short term. One major and perhaps obvious necessity of managing chronic hepatitis is the elimination of any alcohol in your diet or lifestyle as it has a negative impact on liver health.

World Hepatitis Day

Many people live with viral hepatitis without knowing so. The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that approximately 900,000 individuals die each year due to infection of hepatitis B. The aim of World Hepatitis Day is to increase awareness around the globe of how much this affects our population overall, along with expanding access for individuals to be tested and treated for it. Through increased testing, treatment, along with expanding preventative measures, thousands of lives could be saved. Those who work or live in high-risk atmospheres such as healthcare workers, tattoo artists, patents receiving dialysis or transfusions, sex workers, those who travel frequently, or those in prison should have the opportunity to be tested for hepatitis regularly and monitor their health.

Cases in adulthood become chronic in only about 5% of cases, but when cases occur in childhood the likelihood of developing a chronic condition increases to about 95%. For this reason, vaccination and prevention is critical to save the lives of those infected as well as those who likely transmitted the disease.

Be sure to ask your doctor about hepatitis if you have any cause for concern or are potentially at risk. Follow the guidance of your healthcare professionals to ensure you are doing your part to prevent any spread if diagnosed. Support the WHO by helping to get the word out! Share with friends, family, and colleagues what you know about hepatitis and how we can all create more awareness of this preventable disease.

Looking for more health resources? Check out some of our previous topics to learn more:

Additional Resources:

https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-hepatitis-day/2020

https://www.worldhepatitisday.org/#about-world-hepatitis-day-

https://www.healthline.com/health/hepatitis

https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/index.htm

https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/ss/slideshow-hepatitis-overview

https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/Health-Topics/the-five-types-of-hepatitis/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxic-hepatitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20352202