5 Things You Need to Know About Chronic Hepatitis

1. Toxic to Your Liver

The word "hepatitis" means inflammation of the liver. The most common cause of chronic liver inflammation is the ingestion of the liver toxin, alcohol. Alcoholism is the most common cause of chronic hepatitis. "Infectious hepatitis" is a term that refers to inflammation caused by parasites, viruses, and less commonly, bacteria. Viral hepatitis is the most common type of chronic infectious hepatitis.

2. Viral Hepatitis

There are several types of viruses that primarily attack the liver: A, B, C, D, E, F and probably G. The most common of the viruses are A, B, and C. A is typically spread via a fecal-oral route. Poor hand washing techniques in food handlers, contaminated shellfish and poor hand washing in day care workers are common means of viral spread. Hepatitis B spreads through sexual contact or via direct blood contact, as in sharing a needle. Hepatitis C is spread primarily through direct blood contact, although spread through sexual contact is possible.

3. Hepatitis Symptoms Go Unnoticed

People who contract Hepatitis A may have a serious acute illness, but they almost always recover. Chronic hepatitis B symptoms are very minimal. Neither hepatitis B nor hepatitis C are associated with an acute illness. In fact, most people with hepatitis C don't even know that they have contracted the disease. But both viruses can remain within a person's system indefinitely. In a high percentage of patients, these viruses slowly kill enough liver cells to push it into failure. Jaundice in hepatitis B as well as hepatitis C does not show up until the liver is in full blown failure. Liver failure is a fatal condition.

4. Hepatitis Carriers

If a person has chronic Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C, they carry live viruses in their systems. This means that they can pass the virus to other people and must be considered as a chronic carrier of hepatitis B or C. Both viruses pass through blood and blood products. Both are passed through sexual contact, although this is more common with hepatitis B. It is generally felt that the use of condoms prevents viral transmission.

5. Hepatitis Prevention

There is now a vaccine against hepatitis B that is part of routine vaccination schedules in the United States. There are also treatments for both B and C. These treatments involve the drugs interferon and riboflavin. Over time, treatment regimens have become increasingly effective, but they are exceedingly expensive, some patients do not tolerate them, and almost all patients find them a great burden. It is much easier to engage in judicious sexual behavior, a rigid avoidance of intravenous drug use and evade the infection altogether.