Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis A Virus (HAV). The disease can lead to a mild illness that lasts for a few weeks, to a serious illness that lasts for months and even to death.
What is Hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A, Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) It is usually transmitted by ingestion of food, drink or materials contaminated with the feces of an infected person. HAV causes an acute infection and does not become chronic. The best way to prevent HAV is to be vaccinated.
Acute Hepatitis
Acute hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that causes liver cell damage and destruction.
While acute hepatitis is observed in one of 4000 people every year in developed countries, the incidence of acute hepatitis is 5 times higher in developing countries and unfortunately it is a common disease in our country.
What are the Causes of Acute Hepatitis?
Common causes of acute hepatitis are viral infection (viral hepatitis A, B, C, D or E), high-dose drug use (drugs such as acetaminophen, paracetamol), exposure to chemicals (dry cleaning chemicals and some wild mushrooms). /p>
What are the Symptoms of Acute Hepatitis?
It usually starts with flu-like symptoms. However, the most common symptoms are:
- Jaundice,
- Nausea,
- Vomiting,
- Loss of appetite,
- Fever,
- Tenderness in the upper right abdomen,
- Muscle and joint pain,
- Itchy redness and rash on the skin.
How to Diagnose Acute Hepatitis?
Along with the patient's medical history and examination, specific laboratory tests for virus detection and liver Diagnosis can be made easily with functional tests.
What is Acute Hepatitis Treatment?
As in many diseases, there are different factors in determining acute hepatitis treatment. The most appropriate treatment option is determined by considering the cause of the disease, its severity, the general condition of the patient, the presence of previous liver disease.
In most cases of acute hepatitis Many people recover without treatment. In the presence of severe acute hepatitis, the person may need to stay in the hospital. People who have had acute viral hepatitis, on the other hand, can become chronic carriers of the disease in case of hepatitis B or C infection. complaints continue to be observed. This condition, in which the symptoms of hepatitis last for more than 6 months, is called chronic hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis can last for years.
What are the Types of Chronic Hepatitis?
- Alcohol-induced chronic hepatitis: It is permanent liver damage caused by heavy alcohol use.
- Chronic active hepatitis: Intense inflammation (inflammation) of liver cells that can lead to cirrhosis.
- Chronic persistent hepatitis: Milder chronic inflammation (inflammation) of the liver that does not usually lead to cirrhosis. p>
What are the Causes of Chronic Hepatitis?
The most common causes of chronic hepatitis can be listed as follows:
• Viral hepatitis• Heavy alcohol use• Autoimmune disorder (the body's own tissues),• Reaction to some drugs, especially those for tuberculosis,• Metabolic disorders (such as hemochromatosis or Wilson's Disease).What are the Symptoms of Chronic Hepatitis?
Symptoms of chronic hepatitis are usually mild. This is because the progression of the disease is usually slow, although liver damage continues. Some people with chronic hepatitis may have no symptoms. Symptoms of chronic hepatitis in some individuals can be listed as follows:
- Feeling sick,
- Loss of appetite,
- Fatigue,
- Low fever ,
- Pain in the upper abdomen,
- Jaundice,
- Signs of chronic liver disease (for example, enlarged spleen, spider-like blood vessels in the skin, and fluid accumulation in the abdomen).
How to Diagnose Chronic Hepatitis?
The diagnosis of chronic hepatitis, together with the patient's medical history and examination; specific laboratory tests for virus detection, liver function tests and inflammation, scarring (scar tissue), cirrhosis and with liver biopsy to determine the severity of the underlying cause.
How to Treat Chronic Hepatitis?
Causes, disease severity, and patient's health and medical condition A specific treatment plan is determined for each patient by evaluating factors such as previous history of liver disease in his/her history.
The aim of the treatment is to terminate the liver damage and to alleviate the symptoms and complaints.
The treatment may include one or more of the following:- Use of antiviral drugs: If chronic hepatitis is caused by Hepatitis B or C The use of antiviral drugs such as interferon-alpha, lamivudine, ribavirin or tenofavir may be beneficial. Inflammation (inflammation) is suppressed, but fibrosis (scarring, scarring) of the liver may continue.
- Discontinuation of certain drugs: Chronic hepatitis can also occur as a result of the use of certain drugs. In such cases, symptoms can usually disappear with the cessation of these drugs.
- Quitting alcohol: Quitting alcohol is very important in the treatment of alcohol-related chronic liver disease, hepatitis C and other chronic diseases of the liver, and helps recovery.
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