Symptoms of viral hepatitis and treatment of different types of disease

Among all known liver diseases, hepatitis and its types are considered the most common. Every year, about 2 million people die from them worldwide.

Hepatitis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the liver, which in most cases occurs as a result of damage to the organ by a virus.

Main forms and types of hepatitis

Answering the question about what types of hepatitis there are, experts note that in modern medicine there are several classifications of the disease.

There are two main forms of hepatitis - acute and chronic.

The acute form is characterized by a bright and clearly defined clinical picture, in which there is a sharp deterioration in the patient’s condition, severe intoxication of the body, yellowness of the sclera of the eyes and skin, and disruption of the basic functions of the liver. The acute form is most characteristic of the pathology of viral etymology.

The chronic (inactive) form is characterized by a mild clinical picture and in many cases is asymptomatic. It can develop independently or become a complication of the acute form of the disease.

If not treated in a timely manner, chronic forms of the disease lead to dangerous complications, in particular, cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Depending on the cause of hepatitis, there are:

• viral;
• toxic;
• autoimmune.

Conventionally, all of the listed species can be combined into two groups – infectious and non-infectious species.

Hepatitis
Infectious	Non-infectious
viral A, B, C, D, E, G, F	toxic
autoimmune

Viral

This is the most common cause of liver inflammation.

The group of viruses that provoke this disease is so vast and diverse that it is impossible to accurately answer the question of how many types of hepatitis there are. Today, there are seven main types of viral hepatitis, which differ from each other in the structural features of the virus, transmission mechanisms and the degree of damage to liver cells.

The classification of viral hepatitis allows us to distinguish two main groups of the disease - with an enteral and parenteral mechanism of infection. The first group includes hepatitis A and E, which can be transmitted “through the mouth,” i.e. through contaminated food, dirty water or unwashed hands. The second group includes hepatitis B, C, D, G, which are transmitted through blood.

Classification of hepatitis of viral etiology

Hepatitis A, which is popularly known as Botkin's disease, is one of the mildest forms of the disease.

It is essentially a foodborne infection that affects the liver without affecting the digestive tract.

The causative agent of the infection is an RNA virus that enters the human body with contaminated food and water, as well as through the use of contaminated household items.

There are three main forms of the disease:

• icteric (acute);
• anicteric;
• subclinical (asymptomatic).

• The main diagnostic method is a blood test, which detects antibodies of the IgM class.
• People who have once had hepatitis A develop lifelong immunity to this form of the disease.
• Hepatitis B is viral in nature and is one of the most common and contagious diseases. It has two forms:

• acute, which in 10% of cases develops into chronic;
• chronic, which leads to numerous complications.

There are two main methods of transmission of the virus - artificial and natural.

In the first case, transmission of the virus is possible through infected blood, which enters the body of a healthy person during various manipulations (blood transfusion, organ transplantation), when visiting a dental office, beauty salon, and also when using unsterilized syringes and needles. Among the natural routes of transmission of infection, the most common is sexual intercourse. The so-called vertical infection, which occurs during childbirth from a sick mother to her child, is also possible.

Scheme “Main symptoms and signs of hepatitis B”

Treatment of the disease is complex and requires an integrated approach, which depends on the stage and form of the disease. However, achieving complete recovery is almost impossible.

1. Timely vaccination will help protect yourself and prevent hepatitis B infection.
2. Hepatitis C is known in medical circles as HCV infection.
3. Answering the question which hepatitis is the most dangerous, infectious disease doctors note that it is hepatitis C.
4. Currently, 11 genotypes of the HCV virus are known, but they all have one thing in common - they are transmitted only through infected blood.

It has a similar clinical picture to hepatitis B. It manifests itself in both acute and chronic forms. Moreover, according to statistics, the chronic form in 20% of cases ends in cirrhosis or liver cancer. A particularly high risk of such complications is typical for patients who are in contact with hepatitis A and B.

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine against hepatitis C.

The duration of treatment and its outcome depend on the genotype, form and stage of hepatitis, as well as on the age of the patient and his lifestyle.

The most effective way to treat the disease is antiviral therapy with new generation drugs, among which the most effective is Interferon alfa.

As modern research shows, a positive result is achieved in 40-60% of cases.

If left untreated for hepatitis C, in most cases it leads to complete death of liver cells and death.

Hepatitis D, also known as delta hepatitis, occurs when a person is infected with the HDV virus. It is characterized by acute, all-consuming liver damage and is difficult to treat. Therefore, many experts classify it as the most dangerous hepatitis.

Unlike all types of hepatitis, the HDV virus does not have its own envelope and cannot develop independently in the human body. A necessary condition for its reproduction in the human body is the presence of the hepatitis B virus. That is why only people with hepatitis B can become infected with delta hepatitis.

Structure of the HDV virus

There are two forms of delta hepatitis - acute and chronic. The acute form of the disease is characterized by the presence of the following symptoms:

• pain in the right hypochondrium;
• fever;
• darkening of urine color;
• nausea and vomiting;
• nosebleeds;
• ascites.

In the chronic form of the disease, symptoms may be absent or not appear for a long time.

Unfortunately, at present there are no medications that can completely and permanently destroy the HDV virus, however, modern antiviral therapy in combination with hepatoprotectors and immunostimulants can achieve positive results, prevent pathological processes in the liver and avoid dangerous complications.

Hepatitis E is a viral liver infection that occurs through the fecal-oral route. Like Botkin's disease, this liver damage is transmitted mainly through contaminated water and food. You can also become infected through blood.

Dirty water is the main cause of hepatitis E, so epidemics of the disease predominantly occur in hot countries with poor water supply

The symptoms of the disease are similar to those of Botkin's disease. The disease begins with an upset digestive system and an increase in body temperature, followed by yellowing of the skin and sclera of the eyes.

In most cases, the prognosis for patients is quite favorable. However, if infected in the third trimester of pregnancy, the disease is very severe and ends in the death of the fetus, and sometimes the death of the mother.

The main difference between hepatitis E and other types of the disease is that this virus affects not only the liver, but also the kidneys.

Hepatitis F is a poorly understood type of disease. Laboratory research is still being carried out around the world to study the etymology of the virus and the main modes of its transmission. Since the clinical picture of the virus is not fully understood, it is very difficult to make an accurate diagnosis.

However, it is known for certain that this infection is transmitted through blood and has the following phases:

• incubation period;
• pre-icteric phase;
• icteric phase;
• convalescence;
• period of residual effects.

To date, no treatment has been developed for hepatitis F.

Hepatitis G was discovered quite recently in a patient infected with hepatitis C. That is why the concept of such an infection often refers to one of the varieties of hepatitis C.

Currently, this type of hepatitis is poorly understood, but methods of infection with hepatitis G are known: it has been established that it is transmitted through blood during sexual contact, as well as from mother to child during childbirth.

Toxic

They arise as a result of the negative impact on the human liver of chemicals, industrial poisons, as well as poisons of plant origin, alcohol and some medications.

Depending on the source of infection, the following types of toxic liver inflammation are distinguished:

• Alcoholic – occurs as a result of the toxic effect of alcohol on the liver, leads to metabolic disorders in hepatocytes and their replacement with adipose tissue.
• Drug-induced – appears when taking hepatotoxic medications (Ibuprofen, Ftivazid, Biseptol, Azathioprine, Methyldopa, etc.).
• Professional – occurs when the human body is exposed to industrial poisons (phenols, aldehydes, pesticides, arsenic, etc.) and other harmful substances.

Liver disorders in toxic hepatitis

You can become infected with toxic hepatitis through the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, and also by tactile means.

They are considered one of the rarest diseases. According to statistics, they occur in 50-100 cases per 1 million people, and they mainly affect women at a young age.

The reasons for the development of the disease are not known for certain, but it has been established that it occurs against the background of dysfunction of the immune system and is characterized by extensive damage to the liver and some other organs (for example, the pancreas).

This disease is characterized by a number of specific and nonspecific symptoms. In particular:

• severe jaundice;
• darkening of urine color;
• pronounced weakness and malaise;
• pain in the right hypochondrium;
• skin itching;
• ascites;
• fever;
• polyarthritis.

If not treated promptly, autoimmune hepatitis leads to liver cirrhosis and liver failure, resulting in the need for donor liver transplantation.

It is impossible to diagnose hepatitis and its types solely by external signs. Answering questions about whether hepatitis is visible on ultrasound and whether there is an accurate analysis, experts note that to formulate a diagnosis it is necessary to conduct a whole range of studies. In particular, we are talking about biochemical blood tests, ultrasound of the abdominal organs, computed tomography and liver biopsy.

It is difficult to answer the question of which hepatitis is the most terrible for a person, since each of the known types of the disease can cause irreversible processes in the liver and lead to death.

And although many types of hepatitis are known today, new subspecies are discovered every year that can be even more dangerous to humans.

Source: https://albur.ru/prochee/vidy-gepatita

Signs and symptoms of viral hepatitis in adults, features of manifestation

Signs of viral hepatitis in adults at the first stage do not fully manifest themselves. The disease is most often diagnosed during a routine examination. Infection occurs as a result of the penetration of specific viruses or toxic effects into the body, as a result of which the liver cells are primarily affected.

Symptoms of viral hepatitis in adults

Manifestations of the disease vary depending on the severity of the infection and its form. There are a number of main symptoms that worry patients diagnosed with hepatitis:

• painful sensations in the right hypochondrium (constant or occasional);
• general malaise, headache and dizziness;
• bitterness in the mouth;
• increased body temperature (usually when measured, the device shows 37–38 degrees);
• yellowness of the skin and eyeballs;
• loss of appetite;
• bad breath;
• dark colored urine;
• skin itching;
• Gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhea, constipation).

These are the main signs that indicate the development of the disease in the body. However, it occasionally happens that hepatitis does not manifest itself at all or does not cause inconvenience to the patient for a long time, which contributes to its transition to a chronic form. As a result, the person becomes a permanent carrier of the virus.

Signs by type of disease

The symptoms of the disease often depend on the type of pathology and its stage. There are 4 stages of the disease and signs that characterize them:

1. Easy. The clinical picture is blurry, jaundice and temperature are sometimes completely absent. Temperature readings will be slightly above normal, which often does not cause serious concern for patients. A person feels only heaviness in the right hypochondrium and lack of appetite. Therefore, this form of the disease is diagnosed late, when it becomes chronic.

1. Moderate weight.
   General manifestations of the disease are more pronounced. There is practically no appetite, joints ache, nausea and vomiting appear. Lack of appetite

1. Heavy. All symptoms of the disease are present and clearly expressed.

1. Lightning fast. It does not occur with hepatitis C, but often occurs with type B or a combination of types B and D. In this case, help to the patient should be just as prompt. Otherwise, due to the rapid development of extensive necrosis and damage to liver cells, the patient may die.

The main signs of the pathology are pain in the abdomen and right side, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, and the temperature rises to 38.5 degrees. If you have at least one of the listed symptoms, contacting a doctor should be a priority.

After infection with the hepatitis virus, symptoms appear after a couple of weeks or a month. In some cases, they may not bother you for years, making a person a carrier of a serious disease. At the slightest sign of poor health, you should consult a doctor and undergo appropriate tests.

Chronic form

A feature of the chronic form of pathology is a decrease in the intensity of manifestations of the disease. The clinical picture becomes blurred, the patient is still bothered by the manifestations of infection, but not so intensely.

In addition, the chronic form of the disease is characterized by:

• lack of interest in food, resulting in weight loss;
• nausea accompanied by vomiting;
• general malaise and loss of performance.

General malaise

In the absence of high-quality and timely treatment, a person has signs of cancer or cirrhosis of the liver. The patient also becomes a carrier of the virus, which is extremely dangerous for all the people around him.

Over time, the disease becomes chronic and the symptoms become less pronounced. They bother the patient less and appear only in case of relapse. But this does not mean at all that the pathology has receded. To suppress viruses and complete cure, high-quality diagnostics and the correct treatment regimen, which can only be drawn up by a qualified doctor, are required.

Acute form

Vivid manifestations of pathology are characteristic of its acute form. They force the patient to seek help from doctors. This type of disease is characterized by all of the listed symptoms, which bother the patient and significantly worsen the quality of life.

The main manifestation is yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, as well as the upper palate.

Fever

A person may also notice unusually dark urine and discolored stool. This is also a sign of an acute form of the disease. In addition, the patient is worried about constant bitterness in the mouth, poor health, and fever.

Important symptoms include spider veins on the legs or frequent nosebleeds, as well as bruises that easily appear on the body from the slightest awkward touch.

All this should not leave a person indifferent. The condition requires immediate medical intervention. To make a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo a series of laboratory and instrumental studies, with the help of which the doctor will confirm or refute the diagnosis.

The diagnosis depends on the type of pathogen present in the body. To begin with, the infectious disease doctor conducts a complete external examination of the patient and draws up a clinical picture of the disease. Then the patient needs to undergo blood, urine and stool tests, which will allow specialists to identify specific markers indicating the destructive activity of pathogenic microorganisms.

Blood test for hepatitis

To determine viral hepatitis A, such manipulations will be sufficient. The doctor, having studied the test results and examined the patient, can most likely diagnose this type of disease.

Diagnostic procedures

If viral hepatitis B and C are suspected, additional studies will be required:

• Blood biochemistry (analysis can show increased levels of enzymes, which in turn indicates the presence of an inflammatory process in the liver). Biochemical testing alone is not capable of diagnosing an infection or identifying the type of virus. But at the same time, it provides grounds for further examination of the patient if the indicators deviate from the norm.
• Coagulogram (test for blood clotting, which decreases when the body is affected by dangerous viruses);
• Enzyme immunoassay - ELISA (determines the presence in the blood of specific antibodies that are formed as a result of the penetration of pathogenic microflora into the body);
• Polymerase chain reaction (allows you to accurately identify the virus in the body and determine its type).

PCR diagnostics

Negative ELISA results may indicate not only the absence of the virus in the body, but also the short period of time that has passed since the patient was infected. To confirm a negative diagnosis, the procedure is repeated again 2 months after the first analysis.

Antibodies to the hepatitis virus found in the body may mean that:

• the patient is infected;
• the person has been successfully treated, but antibodies remain in the body for several months after therapy;
• the body has completely cured itself of viral hepatitis (this is an extremely rare phenomenon, but similar cases have been recorded in medical practice);
• the analysis is false positive (in the history of medicine, such results are known when antibodies were found in the body of completely healthy people).

If the doctor or patient has doubts after the examination, the diagnostic measures are repeated and a PCR test is taken.

The slightest manifestation of symptoms of viral hepatitis becomes sufficient grounds for contacting a medical facility. A person must monitor his health, observe safety precautions during sexual intercourse and not use other people’s personal hygiene items.

Source: https://medgepatit.com/getatit/priznaki-i-simptomy-virusnogo-gepatita-u-vzroslyh/

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a diffuse inflammation of the liver tissue due to a toxic, infectious or autoimmune process. General symptoms are heaviness and pain in the right hypochondrium with irradiation under the right shoulder blade, nausea, dryness and a feeling of bitterness in the mouth, lack of appetite, belching. In severe cases - jaundice, weight loss, skin rash. The outcome of hepatitis can be a chronic form, hepatic coma, cirrhosis and liver cancer. Diagnosis of hepatitis includes the study of biochemical blood samples, ultrasound of the liver, hepatocholecystoscintiography, and puncture biopsy. Treatment is based on diet, taking hepatoprotectors, detoxification, specific etiotropic and pathogenetic therapy.

Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver. According to the nature of the course, acute and chronic hepatitis are distinguished.

Acute hepatitis occurs with severe symptoms and has two outcome options: complete cure, or transition to a chronic form.

The vast majority of hepatitis (90%) have an alcoholic, viral or drug etiology. The incidence of hepatitis in different groups of people varies depending on the form and cause of the disease.

Hepatitis is considered chronic if it lasts more than six months. The chronic process, according to its morphological picture, represents dystrophic changes in the liver tissue of inflammatory origin that do not affect the lobular structure of the organ. Primary chronic hepatitis initially occurs either without severe symptoms or with minimal symptoms.

The disease is often detected during medical examinations and examinations for other pathologies. They develop more often in men, but women are more prone to some specific hepatitis.

Particular attention is paid to the condition of the liver in patients who have suffered acute hepatitis and are carriers of the Australian antigen, as well as in persons who abuse alcohol or are undergoing treatment with hepatotoxic drugs.

Hepatitis

Acute hepatitis develops either as a result of direct damage to the liver by hepatotoxic factors or a viral infection, or as a result of the development of an autoimmune reaction - the production of antibodies to the body’s own tissues.

In both cases, acute inflammation develops in the liver tissue, damage and destruction of hepatocytes, inflammatory edema and a decrease in the functional activity of the organ. Insufficiency of biliary function of the liver is the root cause of bilirubinemia and, as a consequence, jaundice.

Since there are no pain receptor zones in the liver tissue, pain is rarely expressed and is associated with liver enlargement, stretching of its well-innervated capsule and inflammatory processes in the gallbladder.

Chronic inflammation usually develops as a result of untreated or insufficiently treated acute hepatitis.

Often, anicteric and asymptomatic forms of hepatitis are not detected in time, and the inflammatory process becomes chronic, and foci of degeneration and degeneration of the liver tissue appear.

The decrease in the functional activity of the liver worsens. Often chronic hepatitis gradually develops into cirrhosis of the liver.

Hepatitis is classified:

• due to development - viral, alcoholic, medicinal, autoimmune hepatitis, specific hepatitis (tuberculous, opisthorchiasis, echinococcal, etc.), secondary hepatitis (as complications of other pathologies), cryptogenic hepatitis (of unclear etiology);
• along the course (acute, chronic);
• according to clinical signs (icteric, anicteric, subclinical forms).

Viral hepatitis can be acute (hepatitis A and B viruses) and chronic (hepatitis B, D, C). Hepatitis can also be caused by viral and virus-like infections not specific to the liver - mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus, herpes, yellow fever. Autoimmune hepatitis varies in type depending on the antibody targets (type 1, type 2, type 3).

In more severe cases, symptoms can be pronounced and rapidly increase combined with general intoxication of the body, fever, and toxic damage to organs and systems.

Both for acute hepatitis and for exacerbation of the chronic form of the disease, jaundice of the skin and sclera with a characteristic saffron hue is common, but the disease can occur without pronounced jaundice.

However, it is possible to detect a slight degree of yellowing of the sclera, as well as yellowness of the mucous membrane of the upper palate, even with a mild form of hepatitis.

The urine darkens, and with severe disturbances in the synthesis of bile acids, the feces lose color and become whitish-clayey.

Patients may notice symptoms such as itching, the appearance of red dots on the skin - petechiae, bradycardia, and neurotic symptoms. On palpation, the liver is moderately enlarged and slightly painful. An enlarged spleen may also be noted. Chronic hepatitis is characterized by the gradual development of the following clinical syndromes:

• asthenovegetative (weakness, increased fatigue, sleep disorders, mental lability, headaches) – caused by intoxication of the body due to increasing liver failure;
• dyspeptic (nausea, sometimes vomiting, loss of appetite, flatulence, diarrhea alternating with constipation, bitter belching, unpleasant taste in the mouth) is associated with digestive disorders due to insufficient production by the liver of enzymes and bile acids necessary for digestion);
• pain syndrome (pain of a constant, aching nature is localized in the right hypochondrium, intensifies with physical activity and after sudden dietary changes) - may be absent or expressed in a moderate feeling of heaviness in the epigastrium;
• low-grade fever (a moderate increase in temperature to 37.3 - 37.5 degrees can last for several weeks);
• persistent redness of the palms (palmar erythema), telangiectasia (spider veins on the skin) on the neck, face, shoulders;
• hemorrhagic (petechiae, tendency to form bruises and bruises, nasal, hemorrhoidal, uterine bleeding) is associated with a decrease in blood clotting due to insufficient synthesis of clotting factors in liver cells;
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes - as a result of an increase in the level of bilirubin in the blood, which in turn is associated with a violation of its utilization in the liver);
• hepatomegaly - enlargement of the liver, can be combined with splenomegaly.

Diagnosis of hepatitis is carried out based on the presence of symptoms, data from a physical examination by a gastroenterologist or therapist, functional and laboratory tests.

Laboratory tests include: biochemical liver tests, determination of bilirubinemia, decreased activity of serum enzymes, increased levels of gamma albumin, with decreased albumin levels; They also note a decrease in the levels of prothrombin, coagulation factors VII and V, and fibrinogen. There is a change in the parameters of thymol and sublimate samples.

When performing an ultrasound of the abdominal organs, an enlargement of the liver and a change in its sound permeability are noted and, in addition, an enlargement of the spleen and, possibly, an expansion of the vena cava are noted.

To diagnose hepatitis, rheohepatography (study of hepatic blood flow), hepatocholecystoscintiography (radioisotope study of the biliary tract), and puncture biopsy of the liver will also be informative.

Treatment must be carried out in a hospital. Besides:

• diet No. 5A is prescribed, semi-bed rest (in severe cases - bed rest);
• For all forms of hepatitis, alcohol and hepatotoxic drugs are contraindicated;
• intensive detoxification infusion therapy is performed to compensate for this liver function;
• prescribe hepatoprotective drugs (essential phospholipids, silymarin, milk thistle extract);
• prescribe a daily high enema;
• carry out metabolic correction - potassium, calcium and manganese preparations, vitamin complexes.

Viral hepatitis is treated in specialized departments of infectious diseases hospitals, toxic hepatitis is treated in departments specializing in poisoning. In case of infectious hepatitis, the source of infection is sanitized. Antiviral and immunomodulating agents are not yet widely used in the treatment of acute forms of hepatitis.

Oxygen therapy and oxygen barotherapy give good results in improving the general condition in cases of severe hypoxia. If there are signs of hemorrhagic diathesis, vitamin K (Vicasol) is prescribed intravenously.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis

Patients with chronic hepatitis are also prescribed therapeutic diet therapy (diet No. 5A in the acute stage and diet No. 5 outside the exacerbation), a complete cessation of alcohol consumption and a reduction in physical activity are required. During the period of exacerbation, inpatient treatment in the gastroenterology department is necessary.

Pharmacological therapy includes basic therapy with hepatoprotective drugs, the prescription of drugs that normalize digestive and metabolic processes, and biological drugs for the correction of intestinal bacterial flora.

Hepatoprotective therapy is carried out with drugs that promote the regeneration and protection of liver tissue (silymarin, essential phospholipids, tetraoxyflavonol, potassium orotate), prescribed in courses of 2-3 months with six-month breaks. Therapeutic courses include multivitamin complexes, enzyme preparations (pancreatin), and probiotics.

As detoxification measures, an infusion of a 5% glucose solution with the addition of vitamin C is used. To detoxify the intestinal environment, enterosorbents (activated carbon, hydrolytic lignin, microcellulose) are prescribed.

Antiviral therapy is prescribed when diagnosing viral hepatitis B, C, D. Corticosteroids and immunosuppressants are used in the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis. Treatment is carried out with constant monitoring of biochemical blood samples (transferase activity, blood bilirubin, functional tests).

Primary prevention of viral hepatitis is compliance with hygiene requirements, implementation of sanitary and epidemiological measures, sanitary supervision of enterprises that can become a source of infection, vaccination. Prevention of other forms of hepatitis is to avoid the effects of hepatotraumatic factors - alcohol, drugs, toxic substances.

Secondary prevention of chronic hepatitis consists of following a diet, regimen, medical recommendations, regular examinations, and monitoring clinical blood parameters. Patients are recommended regular spa treatment and hydrotherapy.

Acute alcoholic and toxic hepatitis ends in death in 3-10% of cases; often a severe course is associated with a weakening of the body by other diseases.

With the development of chronic hepatitis, the prognosis depends on the usefulness and timeliness of therapeutic measures, adherence to diet and gentle regimen.

The unfavorable course of hepatitis can be complicated by cirrhosis and liver failure, in which death is very likely. Other common complications of chronic hepatitis are metabolic disorders, anemia and bleeding disorders, diabetes mellitus, and malignant neoplasms (liver cancer).

Source: https://www.KrasotaiMedicina.ru/diseases/zabolevanija_gastroenterologia/hepatitis

Hepatitis: types, causes, symptoms, treatment in Altufyevo, Vladykino, Otradnoe

Hepatitis is an inflammatory liver disease; due to damage to the liver tissue, a significant deterioration of the general condition of the body occurs. With an asymptomatic course of the disease and in the absence of timely treatment, hepatitis becomes chronic and eventually leads to cirrhosis of the liver and cancer.

When it enters the human body, the hepatitis virus infects the liver tissue, causes inflammation in it, and then the liver parenchyma is gradually replaced by connective tissue. During this period, the main functions of the organ are disrupted.

Thus, the liver stops producing enzymes necessary for blood clotting and the digestion process. The level of bilirubin (bile pigment) in the blood increases, and jaundice appears.

It manifests itself most clearly on the skin, mucous membrane of the soft palate and sclera.

Due to a blood clotting disorder, the slightest blows cause serious hematomas and the threat of internal bleeding.

In the absence of proper treatment or severe disease, the liver cells are increasingly affected, the set of symptoms becomes brighter, the liver increases in size and completely ceases to perform its functions. Hepatitis at this stage is fatal.

Types of hepatitis

Currently, there are several types of viral hepatitis:

• hepatitis A. This is the most common type of virus, which has the most favorable picture of the course of the disease. Its symptoms and signs appear a week to two months after infection of the body. This form of hepatitis in rare cases becomes chronic, sometimes ending in complete self-healing of the body;
• hepatitis B. This is a dangerous form of hepatitis that is accompanied by severe symptoms. It requires mandatory treatment in a hospital setting using a full range of medications, adherence to a strict diet, and the cessation of bad habits. In 80% of cases, hepatitis B ends in a person being completely cured of the virus. It is possible to protect yourself from the disease through vaccination;
• hepatitis C. This is the most severe form of the disease, which is often accompanied by viral hepatitis of other groups. There is currently no effective vaccine against hepatitis C. The disease is difficult to treat and in every 7th infected person, it leads to chronic hepatitis with the subsequent occurrence of liver cirrhosis and cancer;
• hepatitis D. This is another form of viral hepatitis, which is similar in the course of the disease to group B hepatitis. The difference in viruses is the presence of a delta agent;
• hepatitis E. In terms of the totality of symptoms, this infection is similar to hepatitis form A. The disease can also be completely cured with timely consultation with specialists. If it develops into a chronic stage, it affects not only the liver, but also the kidneys. This form is dangerous for women in the last months of pregnancy.  

Also, viral hepatitis differs in the form of the disease:

• acute hepatitis;
• chronic hepatitis.

Acute hepatitis most often manifests itself with obvious symptoms and signs of the disease; chronic disease is considered when the virus does not respond to treatment within 6 months.

Causes

The main causes of hepatitis:

• viral infection;
• alcohol addiction;
• drug intoxication.

In more rare cases, the hepatitis virus is caused by other infections, for example, cytomegalovirus, herpes, etc.

Hepatitis groups A and E most often enter the body through the gastrointestinal tract. This is facilitated by:

• fruits and vegetables that have not been properly processed;
• unwashed hands;
• contaminated water or food.

Viruses of other groups enter the human body primarily through the blood. The disease is transmitted:

• during childbirth from mother to child;
• during sexual intercourse;
• during transfusion of infected blood and its products;
• when using non-sterile syringes and medical instruments;
• when using unsterile needles in tattoo parlors and untreated manicure instruments.

There are also autoimmune causes of hepatitis of different groups, but what provokes such a reaction in the body is unknown to scientists today. In the case of an autoimmune reaction, the body produces antibodies to the cells and tissues of the liver. This provokes the development of the disease and aggravates its further course.

Viral hepatitis: symptoms and signs of the disease

Symptoms and signs of acute hepatitis

The most obvious manifestations of hepatitis are jaundice of the skin, eyeballs and mucous membrane of the upper palate. In rare cases, the skin, as well as the sclera, may not change its color, but jaundice always affects the soft palate.

In addition, the patient may observe:

• increased body temperature observed over several weeks;
• headache;
• general fatigue and fatigue;
• decreased appetite;
• nausea, vomiting and diarrhea;
• the appearance of an unpleasant bitter taste in the mouth;
• pain in the right hypochondrium;
• spider veins on the skin;
• frequent nosebleeds, easy formation of hematomas;
• darkening of urine and discoloration of stool.

Hepatitis: signs of chronic form

During the transition of hepatitis to a chronic form, the symptoms remain the same, but their severity decreases. In addition there are:

• nausea;
• loss of appetite;
• periodic vomiting and diarrhea;
• general fatigue and decreased performance;
• gradual weight loss.

In the absence of proper treatment for hepatitis of different groups, these symptoms are accompanied by signs of cancer and cirrhosis of the liver.

Hepatitis: diagnostic methods

As a rule, hepatitis is diagnosed when a patient visits a doctor with complaints or during preventive examinations.

As part of a routine appointment with a therapist or gastroenterologist, a specialist will palpate the liver area. With hepatitis, it always increases in size.

In addition to questioning, history taking and palpation, materials are taken for laboratory tests.

The standard framework for diagnosing hepatitis involves:

• clinical analysis of blood, urine and feces;
• biochemical blood test
• PCR diagnostics of viral hepatitis
• Fibrotest and Fibromax (determining the degree of liver fibrosis).

• The research determines whether the virus belongs to one of the hepatitis groups and its quantity (viral load).
• An ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs is also mandatory.
• In some cases it may be necessary:

• examination of the hepatic ducts and biliary tract (cholegraphy);
• needle biopsy of the liver.

Hepatitis: treatment courses

Treatment of acute forms

Treatment of acute hepatitis should be carried out immediately. The earlier it is started, the greater the likelihood of complete recovery.

Treatment of any form of hepatitis in the acute period is always carried out in a hospital setting. The main functions of drug treatment:

• detoxification of the body;
• fight against the virus that provoked the development of the disease;
• relief or complete suppression of inflammatory processes in the liver.

The medications are prescribed both intravenously and orally. Also, patients with hepatitis are prescribed vitamin complexes, which necessarily include: calcium, potassium, manganese. At the discretion of the doctor, oxygen therapy may be included in the treatment courses for hepatitis of different groups.

1. During treatment, it is mandatory to follow diet No. 5A (to reduce the load on the liver).
2. For patients with hepatitis, the use of alcohol and medications that have a toxic effect on the liver is strictly contraindicated.
3. Treatment of viral forms of hepatitis involves hospitalization of the patient in the infectious diseases department; in case of a toxic form of hepatitis, treatment is carried out in the toxicology department.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis

Chronic hepatitis involves constant monitoring of the body's condition throughout life. To do this, it is necessary to regularly perform a number of laboratory and instrumental diagnostic procedures.

Treatment of hepatitis of different groups is carried out in courses with mandatory breaks. When medications are not taken, the patient is prescribed mandatory adherence to diet No. 5. During periods of exacerbation of hepatitis, diet No. 5A is prescribed.

Chronic hepatitis, depending on the causes of the disease, involves taking the following medications:

• hepatoprotectors that have a beneficial effect on liver cells - hepatocytes;
• vitamin complexes;
• antiviral drugs;
• immunosuppressants and corticosteroids, in the case of autoimmune hepatitis.

It is mandatory to carry out a detoxification procedure for the body.

The patient should give up alcohol and tobacco smoking, which only worsen the condition of the liver tissue. Physical activity during the period of normalization of the condition is allowed, but moderate, so as not to cause overwork of the body.

If all recommendations are followed, the patient can live a long, fulfilling life.

In the practice of treating hepatitis of various forms, cases when the disease develops rapidly (from the moment of infection and the onset of symptoms to global liver damage) are quite rare.

Hepatitis: disease prevention

Compliance with preventive measures can partially protect the body from hepatitis, as well as prevent periods of its exacerbation in those who are already sick. Disease prevention includes:

• compliance with hygiene rules, washing hands with soap before each meal;
• proper processing of food products;
• giving up alcohol and smoking.

Preventive measures also include vaccination. Today, during the first years of life, children are required to be vaccinated against hepatitis B. This helps protect the body from liver damage by this virus.

Source: https://www.polyclin.ru/gepatit/

Viral hepatitis: symptoms, routes of infection, treatment and prevention

Hepatitis C is the most severe form of viral hepatitis, which is also called post-transfusion hepatitis. This means that they contracted it after a blood transfusion.

This is due to the fact that testing of donor blood for the hepatitis C virus began only a few years ago. Quite often, infection occurs through syringes among drug addicts. Sexual transmission is possible from mother to fetus.

The greatest danger is the chronic form of this disease, which often develops into cirrhosis and liver cancer.

A chronic course develops in approximately 70-80% of patients. The combination of hepatitis C with other forms of viral hepatitis dramatically worsens the disease and can lead to death.

• Hepatitis D is a “companion disease” that complicates the course of hepatitis B.
• Hepatitis E is similar to hepatitis A , but it starts gradually and is more dangerous for pregnant women.
• The last in the hepatitis family, hepatitis G , is similar to C but less dangerous.
• Routes of infection

Hepatitis viruses enter the human body in two main ways. A sick person can shed the virus in their feces, after which it enters the intestines of other people through water or food. Doctors call this mechanism of infection fecal-oral.

It is characteristic of the hepatitis A and E viruses. Thus, hepatitis A and hepatitis E arise mainly due to poor personal hygiene, as well as imperfect water supply systems.

This explains the greatest prevalence of these viruses in underdeveloped countries.

Situations in which infection most often occurs :

- donated blood transfusion. Worldwide, on average, 0.01-2% of donors are carriers of hepatitis viruses, therefore, donor blood is currently tested for the presence of hepatitis B and C viruses before transfusion to the recipient. The risk of infection increases in persons who require repeated transfusions of blood or its products

— using the same needle by different people greatly increases the risk of contracting hepatitis B, C, D, G. This is the most common route of infection among drug addicts;

— viruses B, C, D, G can be transmitted through sexual contact. Hepatitis B is most often transmitted sexually. It is believed that the likelihood of contracting hepatitis C in spouses is low.

The route of infection from mother to child (doctors call it “vertical”) is not observed so often. The risk increases if a woman has an active form of the virus or suffered acute hepatitis in the last months of pregnancy.

The likelihood of infection of the fetus increases sharply if the mother, in addition to the hepatitis virus, has HIV infection. The hepatitis virus is not transmitted through mother's milk. Hepatitis B, C D, G viruses are transmitted through tattooing, acupuncture, and ear piercing with unsterile needles.

In 40% of cases, the source of infection remains unknown.

Symptoms

From the moment of infection to the appearance of the first signs of the disease, different times pass: from 2-4 weeks for hepatitis A, to 2-4 and even 6 months for hepatitis B. After this period, during which the virus multiplies and adapts in the body, the disease begins Express yourself.

At first, before the appearance of jaundice, hepatitis resembles the flu and begins with fever, headache, general malaise, body aches, as with hepatitis A. With hepatitis B and C, the onset is usually more gradual, without a sharp rise in temperature. Thus, the hepatitis B virus manifests itself with a slight fever, joint pain, and sometimes rashes.

The initial manifestations of hepatitis C may be limited to weakness and loss of appetite.

After a few days, the picture begins to change: appetite disappears, pain appears in the right hypochondrium, nausea, vomiting, urine darkens and feces become discolored. Doctors record an enlargement of the liver and, less commonly, the spleen.

Changes characteristic of hepatitis are found in the blood: specific markers of viruses, bilirubin increases, liver tests increase 8-10 times.

Usually, after the appearance of jaundice, the condition of patients improves. However, this does not happen with hepatitis C, as well as in chronic alcoholics and drug addicts, regardless of the type of virus that causes the disease, due to intoxication of the body. In other patients, symptoms gradually reverse over several weeks. This is how acute forms of viral hepatitis occur.

The greatest danger is the chronic course of hepatitis. Chronization is typical only for hepatitis B, C, D.

The most characteristic signs of chronic hepatitis are malaise and increased fatigue towards the end of the day, and the inability to perform previous physical activities.

At an advanced stage of chronic viral hepatitis, jaundice, dark urine, itching, bleeding, weight loss, enlarged liver and spleen, and spider veins are detected.

Treatment

The duration of hepatitis A is on average 1 month.

No special antiviral treatment is required for this disease. Treatment includes: basic therapy, bed rest, diet.

If indicated, detoxification therapy (intravenously or orally) and symptomatic therapy are prescribed.

It is usually recommended to avoid drinking alcohol, which, as a poisonous substance, can weaken an already damaged liver.

Acute viral hepatitis B with severe clinical symptoms ends in recovery in more than 80% of cases. In patients who have suffered from anicteric and subclinical forms, hepatitis B often becomes chronic. Chronic hepatitis leads over time to the development of cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Basic therapy is mandatory. Antiviral treatment is prescribed and carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor and in cases where there are indications. Antiviral treatment includes drugs from the interferon group. Treatment is long-term. Sometimes repeated courses of therapy are necessary.

Hepatitis C is the most serious type of hepatitis. The development of a chronic form is observed in at least every seventh patient. These patients are at high risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. The basis of all treatment regimens is interferon-alpha.

The way this drug works is to prevent new liver cells (hepatocytes) from becoming infected.

The use of interferon cannot guarantee complete recovery, however, treatment with it prevents the development of cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Hepatitis D occurs only against the background of hepatitis B. Treatment of hepatitis D should be carried out in a hospital. Both basic and antiviral therapy are required.

There is no cure for hepatitis E because the human body is strong enough to get rid of the virus without treatment. After a month and a half, complete recovery occurs. Sometimes doctors prescribe symptomatic therapy to eliminate headaches, nausea and other unpleasant symptoms.

Complications

Complications of viral hepatitis can include functional and inflammatory diseases of the biliary tract and hepatic coma, and if disruption of the biliary tract can be treated, then hepatic coma is a formidable sign of the fulminant form of hepatitis, ending in death in almost 90% of cases. In 80% of cases, the fulminant course is caused by the combined effect of hepatitis B and D viruses. Hepatic coma occurs due to massive necrosis (necrosis) of liver cells. The breakdown products of liver tissue enter the blood, causing damage to the central nervous system and the extinction of all vital functions.

The most severe course of hepatitis is caused by a combination of two or more viruses, for example B and D or B and C. Even B+D+C occurs. In this case, the prognosis is extremely unfavorable.

Prevention

To protect yourself from hepatitis infection, you must follow simple rules.

You should not drink unboiled water, always wash fruits and vegetables, and do not neglect heat treatment of products. This way you can prevent hepatitis A infection.

In general, contact with other people's body fluids should be avoided. To protect against hepatitis B and C - primarily with blood.

Blood in microscopic quantities can remain on razors, toothbrushes, and nail scissors. You should not share these items with other people.

Piercings and tattoos should not be done with non-sterile equipment. It is necessary to take precautions when having sex.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Source: https://ria.ru/20121129/912755333.html