Today marks World Hepatitis Day. There’s still a lot that needs to be learned about this illness. For starters, viral hepatitis is a group of infectious diseases. These are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and hepatitis E. These diseases inflame the liver.
However, this information is just scratching the surface of the condition. Let’s find out five more facts you must know about the condition as its awareness day starts.
Hepatitis is Often Caused by a Virus
Various wrong habits and medical problems could cause hepatitis to inflame your liver. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and other medical problems are among the few that come to mind. The main cause of these five different hepatitis types is a virus.
24,900 people are infected with hepatitis A each year. As far as hepatitis B, an estimated 862,000 people are living with this condition. About 2.4 million people are diagnosed with hepatitis C. Deaths from hepatitis have been increasing.
There are Effective Vaccines for Hepatitis A & B
While outbreaks are occurring in various parts of America from these illnesses, hepatitis A & B are the only ones with vaccines. Hepatitis A is contracted when someone unknowingly ingests the virus from an infected person. They also get it from contaminated food. Hepatitis B is spread through more ways such as sexual contact, sharing needles, syringes, or even from mother to baby at birth. Most people who become diagnosed with one of these hepatitis types don’t have a long-lasting illness. But all of this could be prevented if you get vaccinated against these illnesses.
Many people with Hepatitis Don’t Have Symptoms
Another interesting thing to know is that many people don’t have symptoms. They don’t even know that they are infected. Experiencing symptoms from an acute infection doesn’t happen until 2 weeks to 6 months after exposure. If you become diagnosed with chronic viral hepatitis, it could take decades for symptoms to develop. Symptoms vary between the five types but the most common ones include fatigue, nausea, jaundice, abdominal pain, and poor appetite.
Treatment Options Vary Amongst Five Types
There are some available treatment options for some of the hepatitis types. Some don’t have any treatment options right now. Hepatitis A does come with supportive treatment for symptoms. There is no medication available for those who have acute hepatitis B. Chronic hepatitis B patients are regularly monitored for signs of liver disease. Some are treated with antiviral drugs.
Acute hepatitis C also doesn’t come with any recommended treatments. But chronic hepatitis C usually involves 8-12 weeks of oral therapy or pills. No treatment is available for hepatitis D illness. New therapies are still being evaluated. Hepatitis E infection usually ends on its own. There is no specific antiviral therapy, but some recommend physicians offer supportive therapy.
Certain Hepatitis Types have Available Testing
CDC recommends testing for hepatitis B & C, but not for hepatitis A. Pregnant women, people with HIV, and people who inject drugs are among the ones who should get tested for hepatitis B. All adults aged 18 or older, people who received an organ transplant before July 1992, and children born to mothers with HCV infection are recommended for being tested for hepatitis C.
Those are the 5 things you need to know about hepatitis. People are dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness. Spread a little awareness about this condition to save more lives on July 28th and every day of the year.
Do you have a loved one diagnosed with any of the five hepatitis types? Share your story or any other hepatitis-related information in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with someone you love on World Hepatitis Day.
