World Hepatitis Day
by Ngozi Osuagwu, MD | July 23rd, 2023
The liver is the largest solid organ in the body. Without the liver, we will not be able to survive. The liver has many functions, but the three major ones are:
- Dealing with the sugar (glucose) that comes through our bodies. The liver will decide whether to store the sugar or use it to feed the rest of our bodies.
- Removing toxins from our bodies.
- Making specific proteins in our body and factors that help our blood work in our body.
If you are not sure where your liver is located, take your right hand and put it below your breast. Your rib cage is protecting your liver.
We must keep our livers healthy. Friday, July 28th, is World Hepatitis Day. The purpose of World Hepatitis Day is to raise awareness of the importance of knowing your hepatitis status and to spread the word about treatment. Hepatitis is an infection of the liver. There are five types of hepatitis infection. Some hepatitis infections can lead to liver injury, which includes cancer. Viral hepatitis causes more than one million deaths each year worldwide. Deaths from tuberculosis and HIV have been declining. However, deaths from hepatitis are increasing. We have the tools to prevent hepatitis. For some hepatitis, we have treatment options.
Hepatitis A – Hepatitis A is vaccine-preventable. Hepatitis A is found in the stool and blood of infected people. It is very contagious. It is spread when someone ingests the virus through close personal contact with an infected person or eating contaminated food or drink. Most people have no long-lasting illness. The best way to prevent hepatitis A is to get vaccinated.
Hepatitis B – Hepatitis B is vaccine-preventable. It is spread when blood, semen, or other body fluids from a person infected with the virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. It can happen through sexual contact, sharing needles, syringes, or drug–injection equipment, or from mother to baby at birth. It can cause short-term and long-term illness leading to liver cancer and cirrhosis. It can cause significant disease in infants compared with adults; the best way to prevent hepatitis B is to get vaccinated. If you become pregnant, we will check if you have hepatitis B.
Hepatitis C– Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood from an infected person. Today, most people become infected with the hepatitis C virus by sharing needles or its equipment to prepare and inject drugs. It can cause long-term illnesses like cancer. The best way to prevent hepatitis C is by avoiding behaviors that can spread the disease, especially injecting drugs. Everyone ages need to get tested for hepatitis C at least once. We now have treatment that can cure most people of hepatitis C.
Hepatitis D– Hepatitis D only occurs in people who are infected with hepatitis B virus. There is no vaccine for hepatitis D. If you prevent hepatitis B, you will prevent hepatitis D.
Hepatitis E – This virus is found in the stool of an infected person. It is spread when someone unknowingly ingest the virus. In developing countries, people get hepatitis E from drinking water contaminated with feces. In the United States and other developed countries, people have become sick with hepatitis E after eating raw or undercooked portals, venison, wild boar meat, or shellfish. The good news is that most people recover fully from this disease without complications. There is concern for those who have a compromised immune system. There is no vaccine for hepatitis E currently available.
In summary, take advantage of getting vaccinated for the disease where we have the vaccines – hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Get tested at least once for hepatitis C if you are 18 and older. You might get tested more frequently if you have risk factors. We now have treatment for hepatitis C, so it is essential to know your status. We have the tools to prevent liver disease due to hepatitis. Let us take advantage of those tools.
