Love Your Liver

Which is the worst Hepatitis to have?
It would be a toss-up between Hepatitis B and C. Hepatitis B is responsible for the death of 2 million people worldwide each year. According to local research, one in every 20 Indians is a carrier ie, they may not display the symptoms of the disease, but can pass it on to others and eight in every 10 cases of liver cancer is due to Hepatitis B. It is said to be many times more infectious than HIV. Hepatitis C, too, is a severe and widespread form of the disease; 20 million people in India are said to carry the virus.

What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is caused by a ball-shaped virus, which invades the liver and causes it to enlarge. The bug can remain in the body without outward symptoms for 15-20 years. But tiredness is a common symptom, as are flu-like symptoms, including loss of appetite, upset stomachs, nausea and body aches.

And Hepatitis C?
This strain, too, is caused by a ball-shaped virus, and can be as asymptomatic as Hepatitis B. Eighty per cent of Hepatitis C carriers may end up with liver cancer.

The most common symptoms:

8226; Because the liver is not working as it should, waste products accumulate in the body, leading to fatigue that refuses to go away for months together

8226; Urine may become dark, eyes and skin may take on a yellow tinge

8226; The enlarged liver can also induce feelings of heaviness and a dragging sensation on the right side

If it8217;s not B or C, can Hepatitis be taken lightly?
No. All forms of Hepatitis require care. Both Hepatitis A the commonest kind in India and E are transmitted through contaminated food and water. 8216;8216;Acute symptoms of Hepatitis A last for between four weeks to three months and call for rest and occasional hospitalisation. These diseases are highly contagious and can cause serious illnesses, liver failure and sometimes death,8217;8217; says Dr Anupam Sibal, Senior Consultant, Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at Indraprastha Apollo, New Delhi.

Also, the impact of Hepatitis can be more severe in the aged. 8216;8216;Normally, people who pick up Hepatitis A and E in childhood build up immune responses in their bodies. But in older people, the bugs can lead to chronic hepatitis. Hepatitis E, particularly, is dangerous if contracted in the last three months of pregnancy; there is 20 per cent mortality in such cases,8217;8217; says Dr Anil Arora, senior gastroenterologist and head of liver services at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi.

So why the fear about Hepatitis B and C?
The reason is the mode of transmission, which is similar to the way HIV is passed on: from mother to child or through sexual contact, infected blood as in transfusions and infected needles as for tattooing or injections.

Can Hepatitis be treated?
Supportive therapy, including nutritional supplementation and treatment of symptoms, is the recommended treatment for Hepatitis A and E.

For Hepatitis B and C patients, 8216;8216;the treatment is oral, Lamivdine or Interferon. However, by the time patients come to us, only 20-30 per cent are fit for therapy, and drugs don8217;t respond in 50 per cent of the cases,8217;8217; says Dr Arora. The therapy has side-effects like anaemia, nausea, body chills, fever and fatigue.

The best you can do:

8226; Vaccines are available for Hepatitis A and B
8226; Avoid contact with the virus with the help of a basic hygiene regimen
8226; Your attitude makes a considerable difference. If you have been active, continue with walking, swimming, low-impact aerobics, yoga or Tai Chi.