| February's Health Topic - Hepatitis |
Hepatitis is an infectious disease caused by a virus that
affects the liver.
Although you may not have heard much about it, chronic
hepatitis affects 5 million Americans.
Hepatitis is the leading cause
of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. It is a leading
cause of liver transplants. There are five known forms of hepatitis
(A, B, C, D, E). Hepatitis A, B, and C are common in North America; they
will be discussed in more detail on this page. Hepatitis D only occurs
in individuals already infected with Hepatitis B. Hepatitis E is very
rare in North America.
One of the problems with the common forms of hepatitis is that they
do not always cause symptoms. You may not find out that you have the
disease until you donate blood. This means you may have unwillingly
passed it on to someone else.
The Most Common
Forms of Hepatitis:
Hepatitis A.
This form of hepatitis is commonly spread through contact with infected
food or body wastes or through sexual contact. It causes flu-like symptoms
and yellowing in the eyes and skin (jaundice). Hepatitis A is usually
an acute illness, which lasts anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months. Good
personal hygiene and sanitation help prevent the spread of Hepatitis
A. There is also a vaccine to prevent the disease.
Hepatitis B.
This disease is mainly spread through sexual contact or contact with
bodily fluids and blood. The symptoms may resemble the flu, or there
may be no symptoms at all. Most people fight off the disease, but some
will develop a long-term version, called chronic hepatitis. These people
have an increased chance of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer.
There is an effective vaccine against Hepatitis B. Children in this
country are required to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B. |
|
How to Protect
Against Infection:
Find out if you have ever been infected with hepatitis, especially
if you have had a blood transfusion, had multiple sex partners,
used injected drugs, had close contact with someone who has hepatitis,
or traveled in countries where the disease is quite common.
To avoid infection, practice safe sex (use a condom or other
barrier method); don't use injection drugs or share needles;
wash your hands; avoid contact with infected blood or other bodily
fluids; and get vaccinated.
The Hepatitis A and B vaccines are recommended as part of the
routine immunization package for children, for all pre-teens,
for health care workers, and anyone who may come in contact with
the virus. They are also recommended if you are traveling to
parts of the world where the disease is widespread, including
Mexico, the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, South America,
and Central America. |
|
Hepatitis C.
Many people with this disease were infected through blood transfusions
before 1992, when the virus was identified. Today, all blood is screened
for hepatitis. Most new cases of Hepatitis C are spread through injection
drug use. Symptoms include fatigue, abdominal pain, and fever. One-third
of the people infected with Hepatitis C don't know it because they haven't
had any symptoms. Left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to chronic
liver disease. There are treatments for Hepatitis C, but they are only
effective in 10-40% of the people who receive them. There is no vaccine
against Hepatitis C at present, although researchers are working on developing
one. |
Hepatitis Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hepatitis Branch
Phone: 888-443-7232
Internet: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/index.htm
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
Phone: 301-654-3810
Internet: www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/nddic.htm
Atlantic County Division of Public
Health
645-5933
|
