Hepatitis

Hepatitis

Medical Description

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, usually caused by infection with a virus, but sometimes by alcoholism, or poisoning by a drug or chemical.

Symptoms vary greatly from person to person and depend on the cause of hepatitis. Some types of hepatitis caused outright destruction of the liver.

The majority of hepatitis resolves spontaneously without sequel. Sometimes, the disease persists for several months. When it lasts more than six months, it is considered chronic. When the liver is severely damaged, a transplant of the organ may be the only solution (Ciocca, 2000).

Types

Hepatitis falls into two broad categories:

Viral hepatitis is caused by infection with a virus. In developed countries, hepatitis A, B and C generate about 90% of cases of acute hepatitis. The hepatitis D, E and G are also responsible for hepatitis.

Non-viral hepatitis is mainly caused by the ingestion of toxic to the liver (alcohol, toxic chemicals, etc.). Non-viral hepatitis may be caused by disease, reaching the liver, such as hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) and autoimmune hepatitis (hepatitis, chronic inflammatory obscure origin, characterized by the production of auto antibodies).

The role of the liver

Often compared to a chemical factory, the liver is one of the largest internal organs. In adults, it weighs 1 kg to 1.5 kg. It is located just below the rib cage on the right side of the body. The liver converts and stores (in part) the nutrients from the intestines. These substances can then be used by the body when needed. The liver also helps to keep blood sugar stable.

Toxic substances (present in alcohol, some drugs, some drugs, etc.) are also ingested through the liver. To prevent them from being harmful, the liver breaks them down and then rejected in the intestine through the bile, or he returns to the blood so, they are filtered by the kidneys and eliminated through urine (Stapleton, 1995).

Modes of contraction

Hepatitis A

It is the least severe viral hepatitis. Usually, the body fights it in a few weeks and remains immune for life. This means that antibodies against the virus are present, but the virus itself is gone. The Hepatitis A is spread by ingesting water or food contaminated. It can be found in the stool of an infected person and contaminate food, water or hands of another person. Raw or undercooked are most likely to transmit infection. The virus can also be transmitted by shellfish harvested in areas where sewage is discharged untreated. The risk of transmission is higher in countries where sanitation is poor. In these countries, almost all children have been infected by the virus. A vaccine can confer protection (Ciocca, 2000).

Hepatitis B

This is the type of hepatitis that is most common worldwide, and also the most deadly. The Hepatitis B is spread when sexual intercourse (semen and other body fluids containing) and blood. It is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV / AIDS 3. Sharing contaminated needles can cause transmission. The vast majority of infected people manage to fight the infection completely. About 5% remain chronically infected and are called "carriers" of the virus. The carriers have no symptoms but are at high risk of suffering from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer, life-threatening illnesses. A surrogate mother can transmit the virus to her child during ...