Not Just a Virus Infection, Here Are Other Causes of Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease that occurs in the human liver. This inflammation can be caused by various things, ranging from viral infections that can be transmitted to other people to non-infectious causes.

Factors Causing Hepatitis

• Viral Infection.

One of the most common causes of hepatitis is a viral infection. Viruses that can cause hepatitis include:

• Hepatitis A (HAV). It usually occurs when someone consumes food or drink that contains this virus. Hepatitis A is the lowest risk type of hepatitis, because most cases resolve on their own. This condition does not cause long-term liver inflammation.
• Hepatitis B (HBV). This type can spread in various ways, such as sexual contact with an infected person, sharing contaminated needles, or transmission from mother to baby during birth or afterwards.
• Hepatitis C (HCV). Transmission can occur through contact with contaminated blood or needles.
• Hepatitis D (HDV) This condition only occurs in individuals who have been infected with hepatitis B. Usually, hepatitis D makes the disease worse.
• Hepatitis E (HEV) More common in Asia, Mexico, India and Africa. The few cases in the United States usually occur in people who have recently traveled to countries with high rates of hepatitis. Apart from viruses, acute hepatitis can also be caused by bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections.

• Non-infectious

There are various causes of non-infectious hepatitis, including:

• Suffering from autoimmune disease. where the body's immune system mistakenly detects liver cells as foreign/dangerous cells and attacks them, causing liver cell damage
• Excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks. This condition can trigger swelling and inflammation of the liver, causing alcoholic hepatitis. Apart from consuming alcoholic drinks, excessive use of drugs or exposure to toxins can also be a trigger.
• Drug induced hepatitis caused by the use of drugs in excess of the dose and exposure to toxins

 

Symptoms of Hepatitis

Symptoms of hepatitis can vary depending on the cause. A person may experience hepatitis without any symptoms at all or with mild symptoms. In people with hepatitis due to viral infection, symptoms will appear after the incubation period, which is around 2 weeks to 6 months.

Common symptoms that appear in hepatitis sufferers are:

• Nausea and vomiting

• Fever

• Get tired easily

• Pale colored stools

• Dark colored urine

• Abdominal pain

• Joint pain

• Loss of appetite

• Weight loss

Hepatitis suffers can also experience more specific symptoms, namely pain in the upper right abdomen, changes in the color of the skin and the whites of the eyes to yellowish and the color of urine turning dark yellow like tea.

 

So, Hermina's friend, if Hermina's friend experiences symptoms that lead to hepatitis, don't hesitate to consult a doctor, so that the disease or complaint that Hermin's friend is experiencing can be detected as early as possible and treated appropriately. And one of the preventive measures that can be taken is to take a hepatitis vaccine, adopt a healthy lifestyle, and avoid behavioral patterns that are susceptible to becoming a route for hepatitis transmission, such as using unsterilized syringes a