Tuesday, 8 July 2014
MOST LIVER DAMAGE IS CAUSED BY THREE HEPATITIS VIRUSES A, B AND C
MNT knowledge center and WEBMD
How many types of hepatitis are there?
The liver is the largest gland in the human body. It weighs approximately 3 lb (1.36 kg). It is reddish brown in color and is divided into four lobes of different sizes and lengths. It is also the largest internal organ (the largest organ is the skin). It is below the diaphragm on the right in the thoracic region of the abdomen. Blood reaches the liver through the hepatic artery and the portal vein. The portal vein carries blood containing digested food from the small intestine, while the hepatic artery carries oxygen-rich blood from the aorta.
Most liver damage is caused by 3 hepatitis viruses, called hepatitis A, B and C.
The liver has a wide range of functions, including:
Detoxification (filters harmful substances form the blood, such as alcohol)
Stores vitamins A, D, K and B12 (also stores minerals)
Protein synthesis (makes certain amino acids - the building blocks of proteins)
The production of biochemicals needed for digestion, such as bile
Maintains proper levels of glucose in the blood
Produces 80% of your body's cholesterol (cholesterol is vital)
The storage glycogen (also converts glucose to glycogen)
Decomposing red blood cells
Synthesizing plasma protein
The production of hormones
There are five main types of hepatitis that are caused by a virus, A, B, C, D, and E - plus types X and G.
This is caused by eating infected food or water. The food or water is infected with a virus called HAV (hepatitis A virus). Anal-oral contact during sex can also be a cause. Nearly everyone who develops Hepatitis A makes a full recovery - it does not lead to chronic disease.
This is an STD (sexually transmitted disease). It is caused by the virus HBV (hepatitis B virus) and is spread by contact with infected blood, semen, and some other body fluids. You get hepatitis B by:
Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person (unprotected sex means without using a condom) Using a syringe that was previously used by an infected person (most commonly happens with drug addicts and people who inject steroids).
Having your skin perforated with unsterilized needles, as might be the case when getting a tattoo, or being accidentally pricked. People who work in health care risk becoming infected by accident in this way. Sharing personal items, such as a toothbrush or razor, with an infected person.
A baby can become infected through his mother's milk if she is infected.
Being bitten by someone who is infected.
The liver of a person infected with hepatitis B swells. The patient can suffer serious liver damage due to infection, resulting in cancer. For some patients the hepatitis becomes chronic (very long-term or lifelong). Donated blood is always tested for hepatitis B.
Hepatitis C is usually spread through direct contact with the blood of a person who has the disease. It is caused by the virus HCV (hepatitis C Virus). The liver can swell and become damaged. In hepatitis C, unlike hepatitis B, liver cancer risk is only increased in people with cirrhosis and only 20% of hep C patients get cirrhosis. Feces is never a route of transmission in hepatitis C. Donated blood is also tested for hepatitis C.