Understanding Hepatitis: Types, Symptoms, and Prevention Strategies

Disease characteristics and coping strategies by type

Infected by alcohol, drugs, viruses, etc. Type B, mostly transferred from the mother during birth, more than 50% of patients with vertical infection in the family, more than 90% of vertical infections in children Type A is acute only, 70% recovers from abnormal liver function quickly and is reinfected throughout life Immune type C is more than 70% chronic, cirrhosis risk is cured with oral medication for 8-12 weeks

Hepatitis is a disease that comes silently and causes various fatal complications. Hepatitis can be caused by alcohol or drugs, but the most common cause is infection by a virus. Hepatitis is infected by five types of hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis A and E cause only acute hepatitis, while hepatitis B and C progress chronically and cause cirrhosis and liver cancer. may be Hepatitis B and C, in particular, account for 80% of liver cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in Korea.

Avoid using razors and toothbrushes for people infected with hepatitis B

On the 9th, Professor Shim Joo-hyun of the Department of Gastroenterology at Seoul Asan Medical Center said, “Usually, symptoms caused by hepatitis A appear and disappear acutely, such as body aches, but symptoms can appear severe in adults, and hepatitis B and C become the main cause of liver cancer when they become chronic. It can happen, so be careful.”

Among the five types of hepatitis, hepatitis B is the most common in Korea. Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood or bodily fluids. The prevalence (positive rate) is on the decline, but as of 2021, it remains around 4-6% in 40-60 years of age, and the mortality rate is particularly high in those in their 50s and 60s.

The hepatitis B virus uses human hepatocytes to replicate itself and make new viruses, eventually causing fatal damage to the liver. When the hepatitis B virus replicates itself in liver cells, our immune system detects that something is wrong in the body and attacks the virus-infected liver cells. This condition is hepatitis.

Most patients are infected vertically from the mother during birth. Pathogens do not pass directly through the placenta, so fetuses are rarely infected during pregnancy, but they become infected through exposure to large amounts of the mother’s blood or body fluids during or immediately after childbirth. In clinical studies, more than 50% of chronic hepatitis B patients are known to have hepatitis B patients or hepatitis virus carriers in their families. In infancy, the immune system is not sufficiently developed, so the virus can proliferate in the liver for a long time without being eliminated.

On the other hand, adults become infected when they receive a virus-contaminated injection or share a razor or toothbrush with a hepatitis B patient. Like hepatitis A, it is not transmitted through food intake, and it is not transmitted through daily life such as coughing, sneezing, or hugging, so there is little risk of transmission. Even if there is a hepatitis B patient in the family, if there is no wound in the mouth, you can eat together. Lee Hyeon-woong, professor of gastroenterology at Gangnam Severance Hospital, said, “The problem with hepatitis B is that it progresses chronically. Being a carrier of the hepatitis virus is a problem,” he said. Professor Lee added, “As many hepatitis virus carriers pass through puberty and become adults, symptoms or signs of chronic hepatitis appear, and if they suffer for a long time, they can deteriorate into chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer.”

To prevent hepatitis B, you need to get vaccinated in advance. If the pregnant woman has hepatitis B, the first thing to do is to inform the hospital that you are a carrier and give the newborn an immune globulin and vaccination within 12 hours of giving birth. Even if you find out about vertical infection later, if hepatitis hasn’t progressed, don’t treat it right away and observe it while taking care of your health and regular checkups. Hepatitis B cannot be cured, but proper treatment can prevent it from progressing to cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Type A: strict hygiene, eating well-cooked food

Hepatitis A has the mildest symptoms among hepatitis. Unlike other hepatitis, it is transmitted through direct contact with contaminated food or drinking water, or the feces of an infected person. Unlike hepatitis B, which can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, hepatitis A causes only acute hepatitis.

Children suffer like a cold, and adults show severe cold symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, general weakness, high fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In addition, 7 out of 10 people develop symptoms of liver function abnormalities such as jaundice.

“Patients with hepatitis A have a fast recovery and have immunity against reinfection throughout their lives,” said Professor Yoon Ailin of the Department of Gastroenterology at Hanyang University Hospital.

When exposed to the hepatitis A virus, symptoms appear after an average incubation period of about 28 days. It is contagious from 2 weeks before the onset of symptoms to 8 days after the onset of symptoms, so group infection occurs without the patient being aware of the infection before symptoms appear. There is room for it to happen.

Professor Choi Seong-ho of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Chung-Ang University Hospital explained how to prevent hepatitis A, saying, “Wash your hands frequently, practice personal hygiene, boil water, and eat well-cooked food.” So, you need to go to the hospital and take action,” he stressed.

30% of chronic hepatitis C patients suffer from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer

Hepatitis C, like hepatitis B, is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids. It is a disease with a very high probability of causing liver cirrhosis, as only 30-40% of people recover spontaneously after suffering from an acute illness, and more than 70-80% progress to chronic liver disease. Kim Hyung-joon, a professor of gastroenterology at Chung-Ang University Hospital, said, “About 30% of patients with chronic hepatitis C progress to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer, so hepatitis C could become a bigger problem in the future than hepatitis B, as in Japan and some Western countries.” .

Hepatitis C is usually asymptomatic in the early stages of infection. Even if you have chronic hepatitis, there are no special symptoms other than slight fatigue, indigestion, and discomfort in the upper right abdomen, so it is easy to pass by without knowing that you have the disease.

Professor Shim said, “Just a few years ago, hepatitis C was difficult to treat worldwide, but effective oral treatments have recently been developed and can be cured with drug treatment for 8 to 12 weeks. Active early treatment is the most important thing. do,” he said.

Type C is prohibited from drinking alcohol and sharing blood-stained utensils

To prevent hepatitis C infection, you should not share living utensils that may have the patient’s blood on them. Above all, patients with hepatitis C must abstain from alcohol, because drinking more than other liver diseases worsens liver function and promotes the development of liver cancer.

When you have hepatitis, it is good to eat a low-fat, high-protein diet and take care not to lack vitamins and minerals. It is often recommended to patients or carriers of chronic hepatitis with herbal remedies such as raisin tree, ginseng mugwort, parsley, parsley, freshwater conch, and crucian carp juice mixed with herbal medicines. do.

Reporter Lee Hyeon-jeong