On the 26th, piles of hepatitis C infections were poured into a medical institution in Daegu, and epidemiological investigations such as the exact route of infection are being carried out. Recently, fatty liver has been identified as the most common cause of hepatitis. Let’s learn about the causes of hepatitis viruses, which are classified into types A, B, C, D, and E, as well as symptoms and treatments with Professor Kim Jin-wook from the Department of Gastroenterology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.
◇ Hepatitis B retention rate 3~5%… Cause: alcohol, drugs, sexual contact
Vital organs such as the heart, lungs and brain which are directly related to life are life-threatening when they are damaged, and their functions gradually weaken as aging progresses. However, the liver does not show serious symptoms with moderate damage, and even in old age, it tends to maintain functions similar to when it was young.
The main causes of liver damage include hepatitis virus, alcohol, drugs, metabolic disorders or abnormal immune function. Among them, hepatitis viruses are classified into types A, B, C, D, and E, and hepatitis B virus is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in Korea. It is known that the retention rate of chronic hepatitis B virus among adults in Korea is about 3-5%.
In viral hepatitis, when a virus that enters the body replicates in the liver and then enters the blood, the body’s immune cells recognize it as an enemy and try to attack it, destroying normal liver structure, leading to abnormal liver function and systemic symptoms. There is a preventive vaccine for types A and B, but it is preventable, but there is no vaccine for type C yet. Hepatitis D can be prevented with the hepatitis B vaccine because hepatitis B infection only occurs when the hepatitis B virus is present.
◇ Fatigue/loss of appetite → jaundice/dark urine… If there is no improvement for more than 6 months, ‘chronic hepatitis’
In order to find out the exact condition of the liver function, a liver function test is carried out. From the early stage of hepatitis, AST and ALT levels rise in proportion to the degree of inflammation. Acute hepatitis is usually cured within 1 to 4 months, but if hepatitis does not get better for more than 6 months and progresses, it can be chronic hepatitis.
If hepatitis develops into jaundice, it means serious damage and requires treatment.
It is difficult to diagnose liver disease based on symptoms alone. In the case of mild inflammation, it does not cause any symptoms, and even if symptoms appear as the inflammation worsens, it appears initially as vague systemic symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, and anorexia.
If the inflammation worsens, the color of the urine becomes darker like black tea, and the eyes and skin become jaundiced and turn yellow. In particular, if you continue to see dark urine outside of the morning hours, there is a high possibility that something is wrong with your liver. If the liver is very enlarged, you may feel vague pain, but if you have abdominal pain without other prodromal symptoms, you should keep in mind the possibility of biliary tract disease (cholelithiasis, cholangitis) in rather than hepatitis.
◇ Liver damage must be treated before… Important Cleanliness Private Prescription Medicine Warning
Appropriate treatment is required as the case may be. In hepatitis caused by fatty liver, weight control and dietary management are important. Steatohepatitis occurs in 25% of patients with fatty liver, of which 10-25% progress to cirrhosis. Therefore, if you neglect exercise and rest, you will gain weight and ultimately have a negative effect on your liver.
As mentioned earlier, there are cases where there is no preventive vaccine yet, so avoiding potentially contagious situations is the best prevention. As hepatitis B or C is mainly transmitted through blood or bodily fluids, it is important to be aware that personal items such as toothbrushes can be spread through personal use and sexual contact.
It is known that around 1% of the population in Korea has been exposed to hepatitis C or is currently suffering from it. Although hepatitis B can be treated well with vaccination and treatment drugs, hepatitis C is not treated in a timely manner, and many people visit hospitals with cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer.
As there is no preventive vaccine for hepatitis E yet, and there are no preventive measures other than personal hygiene, special attention should be paid to drinking water and cleanliness when traveling to endemic areas. In addition, since hepatitis E can be transmitted through undercooked pork or wild animal meat, it is important to prepare and eat hygienic food.
