What is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by viral, bacterial or protozoan infections. Toxic chemicals, drugs and alcohol may also damage the liver leading to hepatitis.
What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is one of the least five types of viral hepatitis tat affects the liver. Hepatitis B is the most serious because of the possibility of severe complications such as massive liver cell death and strong association with cancer.
Considering that there are over 316 million hepatitis B virus carriers in the world, of whom 170 million are Asians, with 45 million of them in South East Asia, the chance of getting Hepatitis B cannot be ignored.
What are the signs and symptoms of Hepatitis B infection?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by viral, bacterial or protozoan infections. Toxic chemicals, drugs and alcohol may also damage the liver leading to hepatitis.
What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is one of the least five types of viral hepatitis tat affects the liver. Hepatitis B is the most serious because of the possibility of severe complications such as massive liver cell death and strong association with cancer.
Considering that there are over 316 million hepatitis B virus carriers in the world, of whom 170 million are Asians, with 45 million of them in South East Asia, the chance of getting Hepatitis B cannot be ignored.
What are the signs and symptoms of Hepatitis B infection?
01 No symptoms at all (common)
02 Loss of appetite
03 Fever, chills, muscle and joint aches which makes you think you have flu.
04 Nausea and sometimes vomiting
05 Persistent tiredness
06 Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
07 Dark urine
08 Pale faces
09 A distaste of cigarettes
10 Pain and swelling at the upper right side of the abdomen(where the liver is)
After an individual is exposed to the virus, six weeks to six months may elapse before signs and symptoms appear. Complete recovery may take six months or longer.
If you are infected what could be the possible outcome?
~Most people recover completely from the disease and develop life long immunity.
~For some people infected with hepatitis B, they do not form antibodies and the hepatitis B virus remains in they blood and they can pass the disease to others. These persons then become carriers of hepatitis B virus and run the risk of developing liver cancer 10 - 20 years later.
~Among the family members of those suffering the acute illness, nearly half may be infected.
~Nearly 90% of infected newborns become carriers. It has been calculated that 25% of these carrier babies will later (in adulthood) die of complications of liver disease due to the hepatitis B virus.
~Persons who have an acute or chronic hepatitis B infection are at high risk of contracting delta agent infection. Delta agent is a recently discovered virus that infects the liver too. A peculiar feature of this delta agent who are acutely or chronically infected with hepatitis B virus. Illness is commonly more severe than that caused by Hepatitis B alone.
How is Hepatitis B virus spread?
An infected person has hepatitis B virus in his blood, saliva, and semen, and may also have the virus in urine, faces and other secretions.
Just like AIDS, you can get hepatitis B by:
01 Sexual contact with an infected person
02 drug addicts- sharing contaminated needles.
03 Using unsterilized instruments contaminated by an infected person for injections, ear piercing, acupuncture or tattooing.
04 Sharing personal item which may break the skin such as toothbrush, razor, comb or nail clipper with an infected person.
05 Being born of an infected mother. Infection in infancy is often symptomless. But up to 90% of infected babies become carries for life.
06 Accidental contact with an infected person's body fluids or secretions through skin cuts/bruises or mucosal membranes of the eyes and mouth.
How can you prevent the disease?
Hepatitis B may be prevented by immunisation with highly effective and well tolerated vaccines that are now available.
Newborns and young children should be vaccinated as early as possible. Young adults and those whose blood tests show no exposure to hepatitis B virus should be vaccinated.
The immediate benefits of vaccination will be protection from hepatitis B infections. Delta infection and their related symptoms plus long term potential benefits such as marked reduction in the risk of liver cancer.
Protect yourself and your family today. This is a general knowledge I think everyone should knows. If you think you're a candidate for vaccination, consult your doctor who will screen you and decide if you need vaccination. Immunization by Hepatitis B vaccine is the surest way to prevent the disease.
O and the orange colored, is nothing. The yellow is what I think is something we should be extra take note.
St. Francis Xavier's Church, Melaka
Do you know where's this? cause I don't..
