All About Hepatitis

Definition

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. The condition can be self-limiting or can progress to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer. Hepatitis viruses are the most common cause of hepatitis in the world but other infections, toxic substances such as like alcohol and certain drugs, and autoimmune diseases can also cause hepatitis.

Liver Inflammation

There are 5 types of hepatitis, those are depend on virus, viruses that is infected A, B, C, D, E. People with hepatitis A and E can be easy to heal. Otherwise, hepatitis B and C will be a chronic disease. Hepatitis D will be an opportunistic infection in B hepatitis.

Pathophysiology

Inflammation that is spread to liver (hepatitis) can be caused by virus and toxic reaction toward medication and chemicals. Basic liver function unit called lobul and this unit is unique because it has its own blood suply. In inflammations process of the liver, the normal function of the liver is disturbed. The disturbances in liver blood supply make necrosis or the liver cells are die. After the inflammations, liver cells which is broken and damage will be eliminated out from the body by immun system and the cells will be replaced by new and healthy liver cells. Because of that, many patient that has hepatitis will be recovered and healthy or back to normal condition.

Inflammation in liver is caused by virus, it will make fever and liver capsule expand. This condition make the patient feels uncomfortable or pain in abdomen area, in specific, the upper right quadrant in the abdomen. This manifestation with vomit and abdomen pain.

Diagnostic Examination

Diagnostic examination should be done if we want to know the type of hepatitis.

Acute hepatitis

• GOT and GPT enzyms
• Hepatitis A marker (Anti Hav IgM)
• Hepatitis B marker (HGsAg, Anti HBC Igm)
• Hepatitis C marker (Anti HCV, HCV RNA)
• Hepatitis E marker (Anti HEV IgM)

 

Chronic hepatitis

•  GOT and GPT enzyms
• Hepatitis B marker (HBsAg, HBe, Anti HBc, Anti HBe, HBV DNA)
• Hepatitis C marker (Anti HCV, HCV RNA)

 

Immune marker

• Anti HAV
• Anti HBs

 

 

The different among hepatitis

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a mild hepatitis, and rarely dangerous even death. Hepatitis A virus spreads in feces and food contaminated. The transmission is not from sexual contact or blood. For instance, fishes and shells live in human feces contaminated environment.

Hepatitis A incubation range is 2 to 6 weeks since infection, after the incubation time the patient will show sign and symptoms of hepatitis A.

Sign and Symptoms

First week, an individual that was infected shows jaundice skin, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, nausea and vomit, dizziness, and dark yellow urine. The type of fever is progressive fever, it is different with other fever which is caused by dengue fever, TBC, etc.

Treatment

Patient with hepatitis A in first week need to bed rest and immediately see the doctor or the closest medical health care center to get better treatment such as like analgesic or antipiretic to reduce fever and dizziness, vitamin A to maintain the immune system and anti vomit drugs.

The prevention of this disease is really easy. Washing hand is the best one, other one is immunization.

 

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is dangerous infection disease in the world. The cause of this disease is Hepatitis B Virus (HVB) that attack liver and make acute or chronic liver inflammation. Such as like hepatitis C, both hepatitis B and C could be chronic and will be liver cancer after. The transmission process of this disease is caused by liquid or blood or body contact.

Other transmission patterns are from mother to her baby during child birth, sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, needle, or dishes that is used together. Hepatitis B can attack every body, in general productive age is much more risky for this disease.

Hepatitis B sign and symptoms

In detail, the acute hepatitis B infection is fever, abdomen pain, and jaundice. But, it is different with chronic hepatitis B, it will tend without sign and symptoms in acute hepatitis B, so the transmission is so risky.  

Treatment

Hepatitis B need to do some diagnosis test, blood test. If the result is positive, it need to take oral or injection medication.

The prevention of hepatitis B transmissions are vaccine for a risky people, unsafe sexual activity, homosexual, health care workers, and people that is living in high risk of hepatitis B.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). The transmission are from blood contact such as like transfusion, needle, and insect. Hepatitis C  sometime does not show clear sign and symptoms, but in chronic hepatitis C cause liver cells death and detected as liver cancer. 

Hepatitis sign and symptoms

Hepatitis sign ans symptoms usually do not show up, even in years. But, it may be fatigue, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, dark urine, and jaundice. In some cases is found the increase of liver enzymes in urine test, but mostly hepatitis C has a fluctuative or even normal range. 

Treatment

The purpose of hepatitis C treatment is eliminate viruses in the body as fast as it can, it purpose is to minimize the disease that can develop to last stadium of liver  disease. Treatment for hepatitis C takes so long term, so that is why we need to treat it as fast as we can.  

 

Hepatitis D

Hepatitis D Virus (HDV) or delta virus is a unique virus, it need hepatitis B virus for replication. The transmissions are in sexual intercourse, needle, and blood transfusion. Sign and symptoms of hepatitis D is variate, it can be a mild sign and symptoms (co-infection) or progressive.

Hepatitis E

The symptoms is like hepatitis A such as like fever, fatigue, loss appetite, and abdomen pain. This disease can be heal by itself (self-limited), but it can be dangerous in pregnancy, especially third trimester. The transmission is water feces contaminated.

Hepatitis Phase

In general, hepatitis has a phase along its stadium.

Incubation Phase

In this phase means that viruses have infected the body before the icterus or jaundice (yellow skin) signs appeared. 

Prodromal Phase or Pra-icterus

This phase is a phase between first complain and icterus. First complains are about fatigue, myalgia, atralgia, and loss of appetite. Abdomen pain usually in mild pain and it located in upper right quadrant of the abdomen. 

 

Icterus Phase

After 5 to 10 days, skin will become yellow because of the bilirubin color that can not be excreted out the body through urine or feces. 

Recovery Phase

It begins with decrease of icterus and other complains, but liver inflammation is still there. Recovery phase  is signed by  healthy feeling, better appetite. In hepatitis B case, it is quiet hard to treat.