What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is simply defined as inflammation of the liver. Some types of hepatitis, which are generally divided into two types: chronic and acute, heal spontaneously; however, some hepatitis can cause serious health problems in the liver. Chronic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis, loss of function and cancer development in the liver in the long term. Therefore, hepatitis is a type of infection that should be taken seriously.
Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccines are among the most effective ways to protect against the hepatitis virus. It is important to have these vaccines according to age, profession or especially the region traveled.
What are the causes of hepatitis?
Hepatitis can develop due to viral causes or poisoning due to various reasons. Viral causes include transfer of infected blood products, unprotected sexual activity, narcotics, non-sterile needles and medical devices, and transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy.
What symptoms does hepatitis cause?
Hepatitis usually manifests itself with symptoms such as extreme weakness, loss of appetite, yellowing of the whites of the eyes, weight loss, bloating due to water accumulation in the abdomen, edema in the legs, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and color change in feces and urine.
How is hepatitis diagnosed?
A blood test is performed to diagnose acute hepatitis. For the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis, together with the patient’s medical history and examination; Specific laboratory tests to detect viruses, liver function tests, and liver biopsy are performed to determine the severity of inflammation, scarring, cirrhosis, and underlying cause.
What are the types of Hepatitis?
– Viral hepatitis
It is an infection of liver tissue caused by Hepatitis A, B, C and D viruses. Chronically, they can cause cirrhosis and cancers.
What is Hepatitis A?
It is an infection caused by the Hepatitis A virus, which exhibits similar characteristics to jaundice. It can generally be transmitted through water, food and objects through contact with feces and poor hygienic conditions.
How to prevent Hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a disease that can be prevented by vaccination in infancy. The protection rate of the vaccine, administered in two doses, is 95 percent and its effect lasts a lifetime.
What are the symptoms of Hepatitis A?
The main symptoms of Hepatitis A infection are jaundice in the eyes, extreme weakness, constant feeling of fatigue, high fever, weight loss and change in feces color.
How is hepatitis A treated?
There is no method used in the treatment of Hepatitis A. Supportive medications can be used to protect the liver. The patient can be kept under observation. People with hepatitis A should pay attention to hygiene, consume plenty of water, avoid alcohol and eat healthy. In order to reduce the risk of transmission of the disease, surfaces such as door handles and faucet heads should be cleaned after each contact.
What is Hepatitis B?
It is an inflammation of the liver caused by infection with the Hepatitis B virus, popularly known as jaundice. In order to protect against Hepatitis B, which is transmitted through body fluids secreted in situations such as saliva, saliva, blood, sweat or sexual activity, it is necessary to pay attention to hygiene during procedures such as manicure, pedicure and tattoo.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B can manifest itself with symptoms such as jaundice in the eyes, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, weakness, change in feces color, diarrhea, edema and pain in the body.
How is hepatitis B treated?
Hepatitis B treatment varies depending on the course of the disease. People who do not show any symptoms and are just carriers do not need treatment. However, these people should also avoid unprotected sexual intercourse, not share personal belongings, and stay away from alcohol. Chronic Hepatitis B disease is treated with medication.
How to prevent hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B has become a preventable disease thanks to the developed vaccines. The protection rate of the vaccine is 90 percent. In our country, Hepatitis B vaccine is routinely administered starting from infancy. Therefore, it is important to have regular childhood vaccinations; however, if immunity has decreased in older ages, a repeat dose of the vaccine can be administered.
What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a type of hepatitis transmitted through blood. It is usually seen in drug users, healthcare workers, and babies infected with the virus from their mothers during birth. The use of intravenous needles is one of the main reasons for the transmission of the disease. In addition, sharing personal items such as razors or toothbrushes can also lead to the transmission of the Hepatitis C virus. It is rarely transmitted through sexual intercourse.
What are the symptoms of Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C disease manifests itself with symptoms such as high fever, extreme weakness and fatigue, jaundice, pain in the joints, vomiting, diarrhea and change in feces color.
How is Hepatitis C treated?
Hepatitis C can be treated with drugs that are effective in fighting the disease.
With the newly developed drugs, it is aimed to completely treat the disease within three months with one or two tablets taken daily and to eliminate the risk of cirrhosis due to Hepatitis C.
If there is liver failure due to hepatitis C, liver transplantation may be considered; however, there is a risk that the infection may also affect the transplanted liver after a while.
How to prevent hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is not a vaccine-preventable disease. Therefore, preventing routes of transmission and effective treatment of patients is important.
What is Hepatitis D?
Hepatitis D virus also requires Hepatitis B virus to multiply. This shows that people who carry the Hepatitis D virus also carry the Hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis D virus can be passed from mother to baby through blood products and at birth. It is rarely transmitted through sexual intercourse.
What are the symptoms of Hepatitis D?
Unfortunately, Hepatitis D often does not cause any symptoms until it progresses to the cirrhosis stage. However, some patients may show Hepatitis B symptoms such as jaundice in the skin and eyes, extreme weakness, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, weight loss, high fever, and change in urine and feces color.
How is Hepatitis D treated?
There is no method used to treat hepatitis D. However, appropriate treatment methods are determined according to the way the disease is transmitted. Rather than treating Hepatitis D disease; treatment methods are used to prevent possible symptoms.
How to prevent Hepatitis D?
There is no vaccine that is effective against the Hepatitis D virus, but it is necessary to prevent Hepatitis B to prevent this disease. Hepatitis B is a disease that can be prevented by vaccination.
What is the Toxic Hepatitis ?
Damage to the liver tissue due to mushroom poisoning and the toxic effects of various chemicals and drugs is called toxic hepatitis. In this case, liver failure may occur and the need for liver transplantation may arise.
What are the symptoms of toxic hepatitis?
Toxic hepatitis has symptoms such as abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weakness, nausea and vomiting in the first 24 hours after the poisoning drug or fungus enters the body. In the following days, these symptoms continue as jaundice and liver failure.
How is toxic hepatitis treated?
Toksik ve ilaç ilişkili hepatitli hastaların tedavisi büyük ölçüde semptomların ortadan kaldırılmasına yönelik destek tedavisi şeklinde düzenlenir. İlerleyen durumlarda karaciğer nakli gerekebilir.
What is the Autoimmune Hepatitis ?
Autoimmune hepatitis develops due to damage of the immune system to the liver tissue. This type of hepatitis, which can be seen at any age, can remain silent for many years. Autoimmune hepatitis is one of the rare causes of chronic liver disease in our country and is responsible for approximately 1.5 percent of chronic liver diseases.
Although there are three types of this disease, which is more common in women, 80% of patients are type 1 autoimmune hepatitis. Outcomes are quite good in patients receiving long-term corticosteroid therapy. For patients who progress to liver cirrhosis, the only treatment option is liver transplantation.
What are the causes of autoimmune hepatitis?
The basic mechanism of the disease is that the body’s immune system targets the liver tissue instead of viruses or bacteria. This condition may be caused by some viruses such as measles, rubella, acute Hepatitis A, Epstein Barr virus, genetic anomalies and some medications used.
What are the symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis?
The most obvious symptom of autoimmune hepatitis is fatigue. 85 percent of patients complain of fatigue. The second symptom is jaundice. It also has symptoms such as pain in the upper abdomen, joint pain, itching, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
How is autoimmune hepatitis treated?
Treatment of autoimmune hepatitis aims to prevent the body’s autoimmune response and slow the progression of the disease. Various drugs are used for this.