Over 15 years ago my mother took us to the hospital and made us get tested for hepatitis and then we got vaccinated afterwards. I hated going to the hospital but I hated the needle more. Many years later I was glad she did because I started coming across people who were managing hepatitis B precisely, some already had complications from hepatitis, especially liver disease and a few people I knew also died from it.
Hepatitis is very deadly, and many people are still not aware of the disease and how bad it can get.
The 28th of July every year has been set aside to raise awareness about this deadly viral disease that people don’t even know about. This years’ hepatitis day is themed “Hepatitis can’t wait”.
It is estimated that about 8.1 per cent of Nigerians have hepatitis, that’s approximately 19 million people. This is an outrageous figure and it will continue to grow if people are not educated about the disease, how to prevent it and get vaccinated for hepatitis.
In this article, we’ll explain what hepatitis is, the types of hepatitis, complications, prevention and treatment.
What is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation or irritation of the liver and it can be caused by different things. It could be autoimmune caused by drugs, excessive alcohol consumption, trauma or infectiously induced (virus).
Types of Hepatitis
There are five types of hepatitis, namely; Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis B and C are the most common types because they prove to be more life-threatening and vicious. Let’s quickly break down each type of hepatitis.
Hepatitis A: This is caused by the hepatitis A virus and it’s a short term infection and usually not chronic. Hepatitis A is spread through the faecal-oral route, this simply means when the faeces of an infected person is somehow ingested by another person. Some symptoms of hepatitis A include; fever, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, jaundice, nausea and general weakness. It takes about 6 weeks to recover and does not cause permanent damage to the liver.
Hepatitis B: is caused by the hepatitis B virus, which is one of the most dangerous types of hepatitis. It is spread through sexual contact, contaminated needles and syringes, body fluid like saliva and tears. This virus can be present for a lifetime and symptoms would not show until serious damage has begun to happen in the liver.
Hepatitis B is responsible for most liver diseases like liver cirrhosis, liver cancer etc. That’s why the best way to prevent hepatitis B or any other is by testing and getting vaccinated.
Hepatitis C: This is also caused by the hepatitis C virus. The mode of transmission is blood to blood transfusion. This simply means when a pathogen or an organism is introduced into another person’s system through blood transfusion.
Hepatitis C can be asymptomatic, that is, showing no symptoms but having the ability to spread the virus, sometimes, it may present flu-like symptoms, ascites (swelling of the stomach), jaundice, fatigue, bruising easily etc. it can also cause liver cirrhosis and most likely a liver cancer.
Hepatitis D: Hepatitis D cannot exist in isolation, it can only be present when you already have hepatitis B. Hepatitis D resides in hepatitis B, Which makes it still deadly because you are having to deal with a vicious B virus and an additional type of hepatitis. At this point, there’s a greater risk of liver failure and death. The disease is progressive and can result in liver cirrhosis faster than the other types of hepatitis and a greater risk of liver cancer especially if it has been in your system for a longer period.
This type of hepatitis has the highest mortality rate because it’s a 2 in1 hepatitis, a combination of B and D . the mode of transmission is the same as that of hepatitis B, through sexual contact, contaminated syringes etc
Hepatitis E: This is caused by the hepatitis E virus and it is similar to the hepatitis A virus, lasting between 2-8 weeks and also through faecal-oral transmission. Hepatitis E is an acute form of the disease and symptoms include; nausea, jaundice, poor appetite and stomach pain.
Prevention/Treatment
Hepatitis is a very deadly disease and hence should be handled with care and precaution and strict preventive measures.
Ensure safe blood transfusion: This goes both ways for the doctors and recipient of blood. Ensure to ask questions about safe blood, but if you are unable to ask for certain reasons, guardians and other family members should ensure that the blood being transfused is safe.
Never use a used needle or syringe: Always ensure that needles and syringes used for you are new and opened in your presence. Some quark doctors or nurses in a roadside clinic may want to play a fast one to save cost, take note not to fall for this. Also, druggies and junkies are likely to be in this category because they share needles and are not in a good mental state when they are high to know not to share needles.
Avoid doing drugs but if you must, do it with your needles and in a safe place. Tattoos also fall into this category, sharing tattoo equipment can transmit the B and C virus. Simply don’t share any sharp objects with anyone eg, razors, injections, tattoo needles, hair needles etc. if you must, by all means, ensure it is properly sterilized.
A blood test is the only way to test for hepatitis, do a test and get vaccinated. Vaccination is the best preventative measure you can take for A and B types. If the result of the test is positive, it gives you an edge to begin treatment early enough before symptoms begin to show.
Treatment duration
Hepatitis vaccine is taken in 3 doses.
1st dose -day 1
2nd dose – 1 month after
3rd dose – 6 months after and that will be all.
It is expected that your body will build antibodies against hepatitis, but some doctors say a booster dose should be taken every 5 years.
Because hepatitis can be transmitted from mother to baby, it is advised that babies be vaccinated within 24hrs after birth. Please ask your doctor about this.
Takeaway
Hepatitis test is one of the major tests that should be carried out amongst other tests (like HIV, STD, genotype, blood group, fertility tests etc) for intending couples. Hepatitis can also be transmitted by mothers to unborn babies during or after delivery. You don’t want hepatitis to be the first gift you give to your child, that’s why now is the best time to get tested and vaccinated. If you don’t know where to get vaccinated, just walk into any hospital and ask or visit my HMO reliance, they would provide the necessary care and information.
Liver disease is an expensive illness and you certainly don’t want to waste your hard-earned money on a disease you can easily prevent right now, and when it comes to liver disease, it gets to an irreversible stage where it can no longer be managed. Get tested and vaccinated today.