Chronic and Acute Hepatitis - Essay Example

Hepatitis Introduction Hepatitis and its variants are common ailments which affect the liver of the individuals who contract this virus. Depending on the type of Hepatitis that a person has, the condition can heal of its own accord or can become the cause of death for the person. As a condition which causes liver damage, Hepatitis is the most common form of liver disease around the world. While there are several variants of the condition, i.e. A, B, C, D and E, there are two broad categories of Hepatitis which are Chronic and Acute (CDC, 2007). The disease manifests itself as either Chronic or Acute but the symptoms, diagnosis as well as the treatment may chance depending on the variants involved. To better understand the viral infection, it would be necessary to examine both acute infections and chronic infections of the virus. Chronic Hepatitis Chronic Hepatitis is the less common of the two but it can stay with a person for years. Often the symptoms are quite mild and the person may attribute them to other causes since the liver is not suddenly and significantly damaged (Ryder and Beckingham, 2001). In certainly cases, the liver damage progresses to a stage where cirrhosis may occur followed by liver failure or liver cancer. The cause for Chronic Hepatitis is most often the presence of the Hepatitis C virus since more than 75% of acute Hepatitis C patients develop Chronic Hepatitis. Hepatitis B and D variants of the virus can also cause Chronic Hepatitis but Hepatitis A and E variants do not (Merck, 2003). The causes for Chronic Hepatitis are many and complex even so that some medicines such as Methyldopa, Nitrofurantoin and even Tylenol can lead to chronic hepatitis. The risks are quite strong when these medicines are taken for a prolonged period of time. Similarly, Wilson’s disease which is a hereditary disease can also cause chronic hepatitis in children (Merck, 2003). The problem of detection for Chronic Hepatitis is compounded by the difficulty in marking the symptoms of the disease. For example, the symptoms include a feeling of sickness, poor appetite and a loss of energy (Ryder and Beckingham, 2001). Additionally, a person suffering from Chronic Hepatitis may have a low grade fever and abdominal pains. S/he may also develop signs of jaundice, have an enlarged spleen, retain fluid or blood vessels in the skin that look like spiders. When a doctor suspects a case of Chronic Hepatitis, a liver biopsy may be recommended as a diagnostic test for the liver. The biopsy can reveal the underlying causes of the disease and may be needed more than one time for a complete evaluation of the situation (Merck, 2003). Once the evaluation is complete, treatment can be started which requires a combination of anti-viral medication. Drugs such as Virazole may be used to stop the inflammation but Hepatitis can recur if the treatment is stopped. Success rates for a total cure of the disease are around 35% and side affects are common (Merck, 2003). These side affects can have a variety of influences on the body and may require some medical management before they can be abated (Ryder and Beckingham, 2001). In certain extreme cases, the treatment may also require a liver transplant if the person has severe liver failure but does not have Hepatitis B which often causes a transplanted liver to fail. For Hepatitis C patients, a transplant can work because even if the virus infects the new liver, that infection is usually a mild one and survival is very likely (Merck, 2003). In such cases, finding a donor and a match is very important for the survival of the patient therefore the donation of organs should be encourage since it can be a life saver and a source of hope for those who have very little or none at all. Acute Hepatitis Acute Hepatitis can create quite a lot of symptoms and affects such as flu like illness to sudden and fatal liver failure. Across the world, there is a variety of results in terms of how quickly a person can recover to how severe their symptoms are (Ryder and Beckingham, 2001). These factors depend on the particular variant of the virus as well as the person’s bodily response to the attack of the infection. Variants A and C may produce mild to no symptoms at all while B and E produce severe symptoms. A co-infection of D and B variants will worsen the symptoms quite drastically (Merck, 2003). The symptoms often being quite suddenly with poor appetite, nausea, a feeling of sickness and a fever may be present as well. With a Hepatitis B infection, a person may experience joint pains and red marks on their skin. A few days into the infection a person may see dark urine and become jaundiced which actually makes the person feel better but the overall condition is worsening. Within a week or two, the jaundice will become more severe and then fade in a month or before that. With an infection of Hepatitis B, the symptoms may become extremely severe and fatal liver failure in adults could be a result of not getting treatment in time (Merck, 2003). Based on the symptoms presented to the doctor, a diagnosis can be made quite effectively. More than half the people who come to a doctor with the symptoms of Acute Hepatitis show a tender liver and their liver function test can show an inflammation of the liver. This test can also show if the disease is a result of alcohol abuse or a viral attack which can be identified from the anti-bodies the patient is producing (Merck, 2003). While the immune system can fight off many diseases on its own, there are a few precautions individuals can take to avoid the disease in the first place. For example, vaccines are available to prevent the attack of Hepatitis A and B infections but not for the C, D and E variants. Even today, scientists are working towards curing and creating vaccines for these variants (King, 2007). More importantly, washing your hands before handling food, avoiding high risk behaviour such as needle sharing and unprotected sex will reduce a person’s chances of contracting the viral infection (Merck, 2003). In terms of prevalence, Hepatitis C is the most common of all variants since it infects more than 170 million people worldwide. In America, there are more than 4 million people suffering from an infection of this particular variant of Hepatitis (King, 2007). There is quite a social impact of the disease since it is also a leading cause of liver cancer and the development of other liver disease which can result as complications of a Hepatitis infection. To create more awareness about the disease and to make more people aware of the impact it has on patients around the world, World Hepatitis Awareness Day is a yearly event organised by various advocacy groups around the world. In conclusion, Hepatitis is not a disease which is incurable or unmanageable but it requires immense care and a significant level of treatment before a person can be fully cured. Often, prevention can be a better option since simply precautions and a safer version of a lifestyle can help in reducing a person’s chances of getting the disease. For those who do contract it, there are always treatment options but they must be taken quickly or the chances of survival might be slim. Works Cited CDC (Center for Disease Control). 2007, ‘Hepatitis’, CDC.gov, [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/ King, W. 2007, ‘Hepatitis breakthrough at UW’, The Seattle Times, [Online] Available at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003536897_hepatitis23m.html Merck. 2003, ‘Hepatitis’, Merck.com [Online] Available at: http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec10/ch137/ch137a.html Ryder, S. and Beckingham, I. 2001, ‘ABC of diseases of liver, pancreas, and biliary system’, British Medical Journal, vol. 322, no. 1, pp. 151-153. Word Count: 1,308 Read More