How to Protect our Liver from Hepatitis
Understanding our liver
The liver is one of the most important organs in our body. Cone-shaped and with the ability to regenerate itself, the liver sits in the right upper quadrant of our abdomen and performs some 500 different vital functions that are pivotal to us living life was we know it.
What this all really means, is that it is responsible in regulating chemical levels in our blood by breaking down, balancing and creating nutrients that will eventually be released into the bloodstream.
Additionally, the liver is also where medication we consume when unwell are metabolised and processed into forms that can be easily absorbed by the body. When harmful substances enter the body, the liver breaks down these substances and excretes the by- products into the bile or blood. Bile by-products are excreted in the form of faeces. Blood by- products are filtered out by the kidneys and leave our body as urine.
What is hepatitis A and how is it transmitted?
Hepatitis A is a liver infection that is caused by the hepatitis A Virus (HAV). This virus belongs to the family of hepatitis viruses that cause liver inflammation. HAV is very contagious and you can contract hepatitis A from contaminated food and water, raw shellfish from water polluted with sewage, eating food handled by infected individuals, touching infected objects as well as being in close contact with infected individuals.
Increase risk of hepatitis A transmission can happen in the following circumstances:
- Frequent travel or work in areas where hepatitis A is endemic
- Sexual contact with an infected person
- Living with an infected person
- Are HIV-positive
- Work in settings that expose you to a lot of other people, such as a childcare centre
- Use of illegal drugs
Symptoms and treatment of hepatitis A
Hepatitis A can be diagnosed สมัครสมาชิก UFABET วันนี้ รับเครดิตฟรีทุกวัน through blood tests. The symptoms of hepatitis A may not appear until a few weeks after infection.
Common symptoms include nausea and vomiting, lethargy, abdominal pain or discomfort, low grade fever, loss of appetite, clay-coloured stools, dark urine, yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice), and an intense itch. In some instances, an infected person may also be asymptomatic.
There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A and the virus typically clears out from the body on its own. Hepatitis A infections can be relatively mild with most patients recovering without sustaining any long-term liver damage. However, a small percentage of infected individuals may suffer severe complications, leading to the eventual loss of liver function.
In rare cases, a liver transplant may be required.
Preventing hepatitis A infections
The consequences may sound severe, but the good news is that hepatitis A can be prevented by vaccination. The vaccination series comprises two doses given 6 months apart.
If you are traveling to countries where hepatitis A is common, here are some safety tips
- Drink bottled water
- Brush teeth with bottled water
- Peel and wash all fruits with bottled water
- Do not drink beverages of unknown purity, especially with ice
- If bottled water is not available, boil tap water before consumption
- Do not eat raw, or undercooked, fish and meat