NASHIK: World Hepatitis Day is celebrated on 28 July each year to create awareness about viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes a range of health problems, including hepatocellular cancer (liver cancer). Even though its commonly caused by a viral infection, there are other possible causes of hepatitis. These include autoimmune hepatitis and the one that occurs as a secondary result of medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol.
This year’s theme is “Hepatitis Can’t Wait,” implying the emergency to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. Even in a global pandemic, a person succumbs to hepatitis related illness every 30 seconds in the world. There are five main strains of hepatitis virus – A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis results in more than a million deaths a year, most of which occur indirectly from liver scarring or liver cancer.
Some hepatitis forms can be prevented through immunizations and lifestyle precautions. While Deshdoot Times spoke to Dr. Dhanjay Sangle, Paediatrician, he told us about the symptoms, preventing measures for some forms of hepatitis, and vaccination. To begin with, he stated that in layman’s language, hepatitis is swelling of the liver.
The common symptoms are fever, jaundice, stomach pain, vomiting, decreased appetite, and weakness. There are different forms of it- A, B, C, D, and E, and each one has a different clinical manifestation. While hepatitis A is self-limiting i.e. it subsides on its own; other types require treatment.
Prevention
Talking about preventive measures for hepatitis A, drinking boiling or purified water, drinking boiled milk, and proper hand hygiene helps in preventing the body from the viral infection. Practicing safe sex measures, prevention of drug abuse, and safe blood transmission helps in preventing hepatitis B. During blood transmission, one needle/injection shouldn’t be used more than once so as to prevent the spread.
Vaccination
Speaking of vaccination, there are vaccines for hepatitis A and B. There are no vaccines for hepatitis C and E. The children receive two doses of hepatitis A after they complete one year of age. For hepatitis B, there are four doses. The child gets the first one during birth, the second one after 1.5 months, the third after 2.5 months, and the last one after 3.5 months of birth.
