Hepatitis is a group of distinct diseases that directly affect the liver. It can be determined by three different types through laboratory tests including hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Each type is different with respect to its symptoms and treatment. Sometimes even the recreational drugs and prescription medications themselves becomes the reason for this viral disease.
Types of Hepatitis:
Hepatitis A
The first type of Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection caused by a virus called hepatitis A. In some cases, it just has a mild illness that lasts a few weeks but in other cases, it becomes severe and takes months to cure. This virus can be cure however you have to be careful while the treatment is going on.
Symptoms
Hepatitis A can cause inflammation in your liver. Sometimes you do not get any symptoms but some of the symptoms you can get are:
- Jaundice
- Upset stomach
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Pale-color poop
- Dark urine
- Vomiting
- Itching
The above symptoms can go away in some days, weeks, or months depending on the intensity of the virus and how you are treating this disease.
Treatment
Hepatitis A is not cured by any medication but the symptoms of hepatitis can be cured by supportive care which includes treatment of other diseases that cause hepatitis and also the tests that are needed for diagnosis and recovery to check if your body is healing properly.
Some steps you should take to feel comfortable during this time:
- Take rest. It is needed as you feel tired and weak than usual.
- Try to eat lighter food but full of nutrients to get the maximum energy and easy in eating as hepatitis A can usually bring nausea that makes difficulty in eating. You must drink fruit juice or milk and high-calorie foods for the needed energy.
- Do not take alcohol as balancing both the medication and the alcohol by your body specially your liver is dangerous leading the liver damage. Consult your doctor if you are taking any other drugs to control any uninvited damage.
Hepatitis B
The infection in your liver can cause by the virus of hepatitis B. It is mild in some people and lasts a very short period but in severe cases, it leaves the scars on the organ, cancer, liver failure, or it can even take a life. Hepatitis B can be spread by the contact of blood or by the body fluids of someone containing this virus.
Symptoms
The short-term infection of hepatitis B does not bring any symptoms most of the time. In other cases, the symptoms are:
- Jaundice
- Fever
- Upset stomach and aches because of nausea, loss of appetite, and vomiting
- Fatigue (for weeks or months)
- Joint & Belly pain
- Light-colored poop
These symptoms can come after 1 to 6 months after getting the virus that makes it dangerous as the spread can increase the chances of loss of lives. Every third person with this virus got to know that he got the virus only by a blood test.
Treatment
Hepatitis B can be treated by the vaccine and a shot of hepatitis B immune globulin. A protein that helps in fighting the infection and boosting your immune system.
If your infections take longer time to cure, that means you have chronic active hepatitis B and that needs the following treatment:
- Your doctor will prescribe the drug called Entecavir (Baraclude) that you need to take in either a liquid form or as a tablet.
- The second drug is Tenofovir (Viread). This is available in a powder or tablet form. It can hurt your kidneys that will be checked by your doctor after every while.
- Lamivudine (3tc, Epivir A/F, Epivir HBV, Heptovir), a liquid or a tablet that might stop responding if you take it for a long time.
- Adefovir dipivoxil (Hepsera), a tablet for the people who do not respond to lamivudine.
- Interferon alfa (Intron A, Roferon A, Sylatron) boosts your immune system and treats the liver inflammation.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is the stage of the virus that comes with the severity of liver damage. As this virus causes few symptoms, most people do not know that they have this virus. It spreads by the blood or body fluids of the infected person.
Hepatitis C is having different stages that need different treatments.
Symptoms
Hepatitis C, in most cases, have no symptoms but after 2 weeks or 6 months after getting the virus the following symptoms can appear that last for 2 to 12 weeks:
- Jaundice
- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Clay-colored poop
- Dark urine
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Vomiting
Treatment
In acute hepatitis C, there is no treatment, you just need to treat the symptoms if you get any. But if you get chronic hepatitis C, there is a list of medications available. Some of them are:
- Daclatasvir (Daklinza), take once a day with sofosbuvir for 12 weeks.
- Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir (Epclusa), this medicine cures the disease and needs to be taken for 12 weeks.
- Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir (Harvoni), another cure of the disease that should be taken for 8 – to 12 weeks.
- Ribavirin (Copegus, Moderiba, Rebetol, Ribasphere, Virazole), available in a tablet, capsule, or in liquid form and should be taken for 24 – 48 weeks or longer.
- Sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) with interferon and ribavirin, take this tablet with ribavirin and/or interferon for 12 – 24 weeks.
There are a lot of other medicines you should take by consulting your doctor to treat these viruses the right way.