VIRAL HEPATITIS AND ITS PREVENTION
Liver is an essential organ of the human body. It is located in the right side of abdomen. What does the liver do? Your liver is one of the most important organs of your body as it helps to clean the blood and regulates hormones in the body. It produces Vitamin K which is blood clotting factor and helps to stop unnecessary bleeding. Other than hormone regulatory functions it also produces a digestive juice called bile which also helps in fat digestion and waste excretion. The liver is chiefly responsible to carry out detoxification function of the body. Liver maintains blood sugar levels and keeps track of starch storage. It produces important body proteins and good cholesterol. It has more than 500 vital functions in human body. Liver provides immunity against infection.
THE TERM HEPATITIS:
The term hepat means ‘liver’ and itis means ‘inflammation’. Therefore, hepatitis means inflammation of liver.
WHAT IS VIRAL HEPATITIS?
When a specific virus causes liver to get inflamed and swelled up, the inflammation of liver in this instance is termed as viral hepatitis. The liver can become larger than normal in size.
CAUSES OF VIRAL HEPATITIS:
There are two causes of hepatitis; infectious causes and non-infectious causes. Viral hepatitis is the most common infectious cause for hepatitis and accounts for the majority of liver damage worldwide. Drugs, alcohol and other autoimmune and metabolic causes result in non-infectious hepatitis. Intravenous drug users are the main hub of viral hepatitis infection. Hereditary causes are also present i.e. vertical transmission from mother to offspring.
TYPES OF VIRAL HEPATITIS:
There are 5 types of viral hepatitis. A, B, C, D and E. Vaccine is able to prevent Hep A and Hep B. Hep A and Hep E have exclusive feco-oral contamination causes. Hep B, Hep C and Hep D are transmitted from blood to blood. Hep D has shown to travel with Hep B.
WHAT CAN BE DONE IN ORDER TO PREVENT VIRAL HEPATITIS?
Viral Hepatitis is a dreadful disease and the most common cause of mortality in intravenous drug users. Care should be taken while handling blood products as most viruses travel along blood and unprotected blood transfusions. The message to take home from the above discussion on viral hepatitis is that HepA and HepB are highly preventable forms of viral hepatitis. Vaccines are easily available in all the hospitals and medical care system. They are easy to administer and are usually effective in majority of population.
These are some preventable tips that can save us from viral hepatitis contact.
- Never use unscreened blood products. Always use previously screened blood for transfusions.
- Keep your wounds clean and perform proper dressing so that dirt entry and other foreign exposure is limited.
- Intravenous drug users should be educated about the disease and sharing of needles and sharps should be strongly discouraged.
- Always dispose off needles properly in a labeled container. Sharps should be disposed of with particular protocol. One syringe is for single use only. Multiple punctures should not be allowed.
- Never share shaving kits with some other person. Nail cutters should also be kept for personal use.
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