Hepatitis is a generic name of acute and chronic inflammatory liver diseases, diffuse bearing (commonly, but not focal) character.
Different types of hepatitis different from each other in different ways infection, the progression speed, the severity of the clinical manifestations, treatment methods and prognosis for the patient.
For hepatitis is characterized by a specific set of symptoms, which, depending on the type of disease may manifest more strongly than others.
The main symptoms
The main symptoms of any of hepatitis:
- Jaundice. This is the most common symptom of disease caused by hitting the blood bilirubin due to liver damage. Swirling in it, it falls into the various organs and tissues, giving them icteric coloration, so hepatitis patients have a yellow tinge to the skin, eye sclera, nails and mucous membranes in the mouth and other bodies.
- Pain in the right upper quadrant. Since liver inflammation increases in size, it begins to stretch the capsule is located. The capsule is well innervated, and its tension causes pain, wearing both dull and long-lasting, and paroxysmal in nature.
- Reduction of the general state of the organism. Temperature, headaches, dizziness, indigestion, drowsiness and lethargy - the investigation bilirubin intoxication of the organism.
Acute and chronic hepatitis
Clinical - it is the nature of the patient's current condition. Hepatitis may occur acutely and chronically.
The acute form is most often occurs in viral-induced liver injury, as well as poisoning by various toxins. Status of patients with acute hepatitis of various forms is rapidly deteriorating, and the main symptoms develop quickly. Weather favorable often in this form of the disease (unless the transition of acute to chronic form), since it is easier to diagnose and easy to treat.
The chronic form - a continuation of the development of acute hepatitis, which could not be treated, or independently arisen liver disease (e.g., due to chronic alcohol poisoning during alcoholism). Mechanism of development of disease in this form - the gradual replacement by connective tissue cells of the liver. Due to the fact that clinically it appears weaker, slower, and can not be diagnosed until the development of cirrhosis it is less treatable, and has a serious prognosis.
types of hepatitis
Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, F, G are also called viral hepatitis.
Hepatitis A (Botkin's disease)
The causative agent is an RNA virus, the disease is transmitted through the alimentary (through water, food products, household items). Sources of infection - patients with hepatitis A. There are three forms, divided by the power of the manifestations of the disease:
The acute form - with jaundice (meaning severe liver damage).
Subacute - without jaundice (a lighter version of the disease)
Subclinical - symptoms may be entirely absent, while at the same time, the patient is able to be the source of the virus and infect other people.
Hepatitis B
The disease is also caused by a virus Hepadnaviridae family. Depending on the state of the human immunity, the disease can occur in an acute or chronic form.
Ways of transmission: through blood and body fluids, such as intercourse, from the sick mother to child during birth or infection of the fetus during pregnancy. It is also possible infection through blood transfusion, use of substandard disinfected surgical and dental instruments.
hepatitis C
In turn, it has 11 sub-species, which differ in a set of virus-causing genes. In this regard, at present, an effective vaccine against the disease exists. Among the viral hepatitis, hepatitis C - the most severe form, which predisposes to disease chronicity. The most common methods of infection - by transfusion of infected blood, use of surgical and dental instruments, with casual sex. Treatment of hepatitis C - the most expensive among the other types of the disease.
hepatitis D
It called the delta virus. It is characterized by extensive liver damage with developed clinical symptoms, severe and long-term treatment. Infection occurs by ingestion of the virus in the blood. Most often it occurs in acute form, the probability of the transition process in the chronic - less than 3%.
hepatitis E
The flow and the mechanism of transmission is similar to hepatitis A, but it is also characterized by a method of transmitting blood-borne. The particularity of this form - the ability to induce fulminant forms in which the possible death of the patient in less than 10 days.
hepatitis F
Unlike previous forms of hepatitis pathogens are found and identified the causative agent Hepatitis F is unknown (possibly, this is not one, but several viruses), as well as the way infection. It is assumed that a group of risk for this type - is similar to the risk group for hepatitis C, that is, viruses are transmitted only through blood.
hepatitis G
Allegedly caused more than by 3 types of viruses that are transmitted through the blood, but at the moment the connection with the occurrence of hepatitis B has not been established. This means that it is not known - whether the virus causes hepatitis, or simply activated in hepatitis caused by other viruses.
Non-viral hepatitis
Hepatitis may occur not only due to destruction of liver cells by viruses, but also in other conditions. Below are the main types of hepatitis, is a complication of other diseases.
Hepatitis as part of other diseases, such as: cytomegalovirus infection, Epstein-Barr virus infection, rubella, AIDS, etc.
Bacterial hepatitis - when syphilis, leptospirosis, sepsis.
Toxic hepatitis - intoxications various toxins, alcohol, chemicals.
Beam hepatitis - as one of the manifestations of radiation sickness (when exposed to ionizing radiation - radiation).
Autoimmune hepatitis - due to autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic vasculitis and others.
Tests for hepatitis
Diagnosis of Hepatitis and accurate determination of the form of the disease is carried out on the basis of the following studies:
- Laboratory examination of the blood for antibodies to the hepatitis B virus. In some cases, it should be done 2 times, as the results may be false-positive or false-negative. In addition, a blood test is conducted on the so-called liver function tests - indicators of liver activity.
- PCR (polymerase chain reaction) - is carried out to determine the virus in the blood and its sensitivity to drugs.
On the basis of the conclusion of the group affiliation of the virus, and is assigned to the most appropriate treatment.
treatment Guidelines
Treatment of hepatitis - a multi-component. It includes:
- Treatment with antiviral medicines, aimed at the destruction of a specific pathogen. The sensitivity of the virus to drugs is determined at the time of diagnosis. In most cases, a specific interferons.
- Protective or hepatoprotective - aimed at protecting the liver cells against lesions virus antiviral agents and which also may destroy hepatocytes.
- Restorative, aimed at mobilizing the body's defenses, includes vitamin therapy and boosts the immune system means.
