The World Hepatitis Day: 10 Things You Should Know NOW!

Where are all the men? You should not miss this post on today’s world hepatitis day! Girlfriends, you are also not left out! Wives, how are you helping your husband and family? This post is for all of you! You are saving one more life by jumping on this and empowering yourselves with the knowledge required to tackle hepatitis on the world hepatitis day.

The world hepatitis day is here again. According to the Worldhepatitisday.com, hepatitis is a viral disease that has killed 1.34 million men, women and children every year – as compared to other diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/ AIDS.

In the last fifteen years, Hepatitis has grown, evolved and changed lives. The risk and possibilities of having this dreadful disease has also increased over time that countries, body corporate, Non-government organisations, medical personnel and most importantly the World health organisation has jumped on the theme to continually raise awareness of the virus, and to also influence detailed understanding and what needs to be done to prevent this dreadful disease across board.

Do you know that?

About 300 million people are living with Hepatitis in the world? Your brother, family friend, boyfriend, husband, wife or even you might be living with this harmful disease and you may not know!?

This year 2017 already,, there are 325 million living with hepatitis, yet less than 2% have access to medicines all over the world. Therefore today being the world hepatitis day provides the perfect opportunity to sensitize people on this viral disease and also proffer solutions as regards access to health facilities to treat this disease.

What is Hepatitis?

Hepatitis is an health condition where the liver is inflamed.

Although it is majorly a caused by viral infection, other possible causes include secondary result of medications, drugs, toxins, and heavy alcohol consumption, and  an abnormal immune response to a normal body part also known to be autoimmune diseases.

World Hepatitis Day: There are 5 types of hepatitis

The five types of hepatitis are classified as hepatitis A,B,C,D, and E. While Hepatitis A (like some of you are aware) is acute and short term, B,C,D are most likely ongoing, recurring and very chronic! Hepatitis E, is usually acute and very dangerous especially in pregnant women.

The 5 types of viral hepatitis

Viral infections of the liver that are classified as hepatitis include hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. A different virus is responsible for each type of virally transmitted hepatitis.

Let me not bore you with too much information. These are the 10 things you need to know about hepatitis. I believe with this, you will know the pro-active actions to take to deal with this viral infection.

1 People may have no symptoms of hepatitis while some other people may develop visible symptoms like skin discolouration, poor appetite, pain around the abdomen, vomiting, diarrhoea.

2 Hepatitis may be acute (temporary) or chronic (short term). This is dependent on whether it stays up to or more than 6 months on the body of the infected person(s). Remember that a typical hepatitis case may result in the other, and the time span for changing phases may be short, depending on the swiftness to treating when discovered!

3 Some of the signs and symptoms include (but not limited to) tiredness, dark urine, pale and watery stool, unexpected weight loss, yellow skin, yellow eyes, and typical signs of jaundice.

4 Drug use can lead to hepatitis. For you that is keen with self-medication all the time. You better watch it Now!!

5 Hepatitis, especially C is ten times more infectious than HIV/AIDS. Hepatitis C can also be sexually transmitted but the likelihood of contacting the virus is through sharing needles, blood transfusions and other equipment used in injecting drugs. Even unsterilized tattoo needles can lead to a viral Hepatitis infection! Take Note!!

6 80% of people infected with Hepatitis C do not even know that they have it. This is shocking but true!

7 Dirty environments, poor sanitation like dirty bathroom, drink contaminated water, eating food that is not properly cooked, and under-cooked meat of pigs can expose you to a high level ad risk of contracting hepatitis A and E.

8 People in flooded areas too are exposed to the virus. Remember the recent Lagos flooding? Hmmn!!

9 Hepatitis B is usually transferred for mother to child, hence the major reason why a lot of pregnant women are tested for one typle. If you are pregnant and have not been tested. Quickly rush to your doctor.

10 Chronic hepatitis can lead to liver failure and when that begins to happen, your brain can relapse and that can lead to a condition close to dementia. Also, there may be issues with blood clotting since faulty liver leads to fewer protein which helps to clot blood.

When you notice any of the symptoms in detecting whether you have Hepatitis or not. Please go see a doctor, I am not a doctor, would have used this as a marketing strategy to say you should contact me.

Visit a doctor for medical check up and screening. Also, we should try as much as possible to check certain lifestyle behaviours like the food we eat and water we drink. The cheapest and most available lifestyles activities we partake in are the things that cause dangerous diseases and viral infections to our body! Sound health is as expensive as it is cheap!

Prevention is better than cure! Pass this information around please and get family and friends reading, it’s the world hepatitis day! Have you gone for a check up already?

PhotoCredit: TheFussUK