Hepatitis in the ICD-10 is listed under the code B15-B19 - this is inflammation in the liver. Appears as a result of a virus infection. Due to the effects of ribonucleic acid, the liver area is affected, all types of hepatitis separately may appear. Even a year after infection, a person may not know that he is sick. This disease, going into a chronic form, leads to cancer or cirrhosis of the liver. In childhood, the disease leads to serious consequences.
Forms
Depending on how the disease develops, it is divided into 2 forms of hepatitis. The first is acute, and the second is chronic.
- Acute hepatitis is characterized by a sharp manifestation of rather pronounced symptoms in the patient. This is an unreasonable increase in body temperature, impaired stool, a feeling of nausea, vomiting reflexes, the appearance of a yellow tint on the skin. As a rule, a number of reasons contribute to the onset of this disease. Among them, the abuse of low-quality alcohol, excessive consumption of antibiotics, hormones and other drugs are highlighted. Various toxic substances, viruses, radiation and others can also provoke liver damage. As a result, the inflammatory process that destroys the liver tissue begins. The acute form of hepatitis is the stage at which it is more likely to be treated.
- If it is not diagnosed in a timely manner, then there is a very high risk of the disease becoming chronic. They talk about the presence of pathology even if the disease does not subside within six months. However, chronic hepatitis proceeds without any pronounced symptoms. It is also dangerous because it causes a whole series of complications. The disease in this form is quite difficult to treat.
Etiology of hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is also popularly called Botkin's disease. This is an acute infectious liver disease that is caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is transmitted by the fecal-oral route, in other words, through the use of contaminated food or water. Unlike hepatitis B or C, type A does not lead to the development of chronic liver disease.
It is easy to become infected with this virus without observing the basic rules of personal hygiene: not washed hands, insufficiently processed food, utensils shared and more. The first signs of the disease make themselves felt, usually after 25-30 days. The incubation period itself is about 15-45 days. The main signs of the disease are fever, poor appetite, general weakness and drowsiness, sharp pain in the liver, and vomiting. This condition can last several days or even weeks, called the preicteric period.
The icteric stage of the disease is easily recognized by visual changes: the patient's skin and eyes turn yellow, and urine is darker.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is associated with infection of the liver due to a virus entering the human body. This disease is considered infectious, since it is it that causes infection of the liver. Most often it is transmitted through human blood, but rarely through sexual intercourse.
A small drop of blood is enough for a person to become a carrier of this disease. Even common toothpaste leads to infection. The disease is transmitted through saliva. Moreover, a person has a lack of appetite, weakness throughout the body, the appearance of dark urine, insomnia, dizziness and vomiting. The disease is resistant to the effects of drugs, therefore it is difficult to recover.
Human contact with non-sterile things can also cause hepatitis B. It leads to cirrhosis of the liver. Sometimes it proceeds without symptoms, but there is a high risk that it will turn into a chronic form of the disease.
What does hepatitis C mean?
Hepatitis C is the most severe form of this disease. In the medical community, it is called the “affectionate killer”, because it may not manifest itself in any way. The first symptoms of hepatitis C are similar to other diseases, and the infected person does not attach any importance to them. The disease is often disguised as other ailments, and therefore time is wasted that could be spent on treating the disease.
The first symptom of hepatitis C is fatigue. Also, special attention should be paid to the color of the skin. In patients, they may be yellowish in color.
Many are interested in the question of how hepatitis C is transmitted and how many live with this disease. There is no exact answer to this question. The main route of transmission is blood. Life expectancy is different. One patient can live 70 years, the second - a maximum of 3.
It is worth considering what important components of the blood reveal the presence of hepatitis C.
- Bilirubin is one of the most important components of blood. Experts believe that an increase in this component indicates changes in the liver characteristic of hepatitis C.
- GGT. This enzyme is used in the diagnosis of pathological lesions of the liver. With hepatitis C, a constant and stable excess of the normal level of the component occurs.
- Total protein. A strong decrease in the component will be an indicator of liver failure.
- Creatinine is the result of a protein metabolism in the liver. The component is excreted through the kidneys with urine. A high indicator indicates a malfunction in the kidneys.
- General test for hepatitis C in men and women.
This must be known before starting antiviral treatment to assess its safety. The patient must pass biochemistry, and according to its results, they are already looking at whether it is necessary to prescribe therapy or only specialist supervision is enough.
Hepatitis C drugs are prescribed only after a diagnosis.
Hepatitis D
Hepatitis D is a satellite virus that develops if you are infected with hepatitis B. Thus, both of these agents affect the liver and dramatically weaken the immune system. Diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis D and B takes place strictly in the hospital.
The main symptoms of the disease include:
- Jaundice - a change in the color of the skin due to impaired liver function.
- Darkening of urine - the color of urine varies from light yellow to dark brown.
- Pain and nausea - vomiting, pain in the right hypochondrium occurs due to a violation of the outflow of bile.
- A sharp decrease in immunity - attacks of viral agents lead to a sharp deterioration in the state of health, the inability of the body to resist external influences.
- Violation of the stool, malfunction of the digestive system - hepatitis not only poison the liver and gall bladder, but also are the root cause of diseases of the stomach, esophagus. Food that enters the body cannot be fully digested, because of this, a fermentation process occurs. It, in turn, provokes putrefactive lesions of the mucous membranes and causes their inflammation.
Hepatitis E
Hepatitis E is a serious pathology and occurs as a result of infection of the liver tissue. In severe form, the disease affects the kidneys. The disease is transmitted through shaking hands, eating poorly cooked or poorly cooked food, and contact with the feces of an infected person. The danger is fast running.
In pregnant women infected with this disease, the outcome in the last months of pregnancy is deplorable. A future mother with such a disease almost always loses the fetus, but remains alive with serious complications. In other cases, the disease can proceed without serious consequences. After one to six weeks, the disease goes away. Symptoms of the disease include pain in the ribs and discoloration of the skin.
Hepatitis F
Hepatitis F is a new generation of viral hepatitis. This type of disease appears under the influence of an immunological agent, HFV, which, entering the bloodstream, causes complex inflammation of the liver and gall bladder.
Viral hepatitis can be treated, but after exposure to the body there is a wide range of residual effects: weak digestive processes, a small amount of gastric juice enzymes, and susceptibility to viral and infectious diseases.
Viral hepatitis F manifests itself as follows:
- Chills, fever.
- Headache.
- Weakness.
- Nausea.
- Sour heartburn.
- Chair relaxation.
- Changing the color of the skin and mucous membranes is the area of the eyeballs, the face acquires a golden hue.
- Pain in the right hypochondrium.
- Darkening of urine.
- Dermatitis-like skin rash.
- Resize the liver and gall bladder.
Hepatitis G
Viral hepatitis G is an acute inflammatory disease of the liver and biliary tract that develops as a result of the ingestion of the HGV group virus.
The most likely causes include:
- Surgical intervention.
- Blood transfusion.
- Connection to a device that stimulates renal activity.
- Use of non-sterile medical devices.
Hepatitis G is usually divided into three main groups, in accordance with the severity of liver damage:
- Easy - occurs as a result of taking certain medications.
- Medium - typical for people with chronic diseases of the liver, kidneys; for donors.
- Severe - occurs after surgery, as a result of ingestion of HIV infection.
The most striking manifestations of the disease include:
- Darkening of urine.
- Pain syndrome.
- Discoloration of the skin.
- General weakening of the immune system.
- Heartburn.
- Heaviness after eating.
- Diarrhea or constipation.
- Vomiting
- Fecal discoloration.
Alcoholic hepatitis
Alcoholic hepatitis is an inflammatory liver disease that occurs as a result of the systematic use of large doses of alcohol. In medical practice, it is customary to distinguish two main varieties of hypertension:
- Persistent. It is relatively stable. It can be treated, provided that alcohol-containing drinks are completely abandoned. Its main manifestations are: pain, frequent vomiting, heaviness after eating, diarrhea.
- Progressive. The inflammatory process spreads very quickly. The liver grows in size. Refusal of alcohol does not bring any result. The outcome of this form of the pathological process is the proliferation of adipose and connective tissue, an increase in the size of the organ, and cirrhosis.
Symptoms of hypertension are similar in manifestations to poisoning, but the duration of their action is much longer:
- Nausea.
- Vomiting
- Digestive upset.
- Diarrhea.
- Pain in the right hypochondrium, stomach.
- In rare cases, darkening of the skin.
Whatever form of alcoholic hepatitis is diagnosed, therapy implies a complete disagreement with the use of ethanol-containing drinks. It is precisely this requirement that is most difficult for patients to fulfill: statistics show that only a third of them actually stop drinking alcohol during therapy. About a third of patients diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis lower the dose of ethanol consumed gradually, while others continue to suffer from alcohol dependence. It is the latter category of patients that is recommended to visit both a hepatologist and a narcologist.
Refusing alcohol solves numerous problems: the patient's yellowing and several other signs disappear.
To achieve the best result from therapy, the doctor also uses for healing:
- diet therapy;
- conservative methods;
- operational methods.
Toxic hepatitis
Toxic hepatitis is a diffuse lesion of the liver, like all types of hepatitis, and the gall bladder, which develops on the background of the ingestion of substances with high molecular adsorption: alcohol, medicines, household and industrial chemicals. Toxic hepatitis belongs to the group of the most dangerous hepatitis, as it quickly passes into the chronic stage, causing liver cirrhosis.
Symptoms of toxic hepatitis look very similar to severe poisoning, so patients do not immediately seek emergency medical care. However, there are a number of significant differences that should lead to the idea of a more serious case:
- The appearance of bleeding. Gingival or nasal bleeding indicates severe poisoning of the body with chemicals and toxins.
- Vomiting, nausea in combination with pain. If, when vomiting occurs, pain does not occur in the stomach, but in the right hypochondrium, this is a clear manifestation of liver disease, and not ordinary food poisoning.
- Violation of bowel movements. In the event that after the next attack, the bowel movement does not normalize for more than 3 days, and the quality of the stool does not return to normal, you should immediately consult a doctor.
- Discoloration of the skin, dark urine. The patient's skin becomes a golden hue, urine sharply darkens.
Autoimmune hepatitis
Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the liver, the causes of which are still unknown. According to statistics, AIH occurs in 30% of the 100% possible, has a wave-like course and is susceptible to drug therapy. However, it is completely impossible to cure AIH. Symptoms
- An increase in body temperature to subfebrile - 37.5 degrees.
- Digestive upset - there is nausea, vomiting, rumbling in the abdomen, in rare cases, pain.
- Constant runny nose. Weakened immunity, susceptibility to viral and inflammatory diseases, a long recovery period in combination with other signs of gastrointestinal damage.
- Skin rash is a rare but indicative symptom of autoimmune hepatitis.
- Upset stool. Diarrhea alternating with constipation.
- Poor absorption of nutrients. Violation of the liver and gallbladder causes a decrease in the number of digestive enzymes. Because of this, food is poorly digested and ferments in the stomach and intestines.
- Changing the color of the skin - the dermis takes a golden hue, pigmentation intensifies.
Bacterial hepatitis
Bacterial hepatitis is a damage to the liver by bacteria, as with all types of hepatitis. Similar to a viral appearance. It begins with damage to the liver tissue or begins to affect liver cells due to the spread from another focus. It occurs with typhoid fever and bacterial dysentery. This disease turns into a chronic form of viral hepatitis. Also, this disease leads to purulent abscess. Appears on the sixth day during sepsis.
It affects not only the liver, but also other internal organs. It includes intestinal bacteria. Such bacteria include E. coli. In addition, the disease leads to acute hepatitis. Spontaneous bacterial hepatitis appears more often. In people with ascites, it causes severe complications. More often, a person with bacterial hepatitis develops fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, dizziness, chills, and nausea.
Hepatitis C
Needles and stabbing tools are the main carriers of all types of hepatitis from a sick person to a healthy one. Therefore, the real danger for humans is represented by tattoo parlors, manicure and pedicure procedures, blood transfusions in hospitals, removal and treatment of teeth in dental offices, ear piercing. Non-sterile needles can easily infect the body.
Drug addicts who use one needle often become infected themselves, and syringes with sticking needles scattered by them in the entrances and on the street can prick random passers-by.
Even if you exclude contact with the needles, you can easily get hepatitis due to non-compliance with hygiene rules or an imperfect water supply system.
Sexual partners also serve as a source of infection. The infection is transmitted during childbirth, but the breast milk of the infected mother does not contain a dangerous virus.
In homosexual circles, the hepatitis virus is also a frequent visitor.
Hepatitis Prevention
Each type of hepatitis has its own preventive measures. But if you generalize them, then in order not to become infected with this disease, you need to know how to avoid hepatitis:
- Do not drink water from unfamiliar sources.
- Do not swim in polluted, dubious bodies of water.
- Observe good hygiene practices.
- Wash hands after the street, toilet, before eating.
- Carry out regular cleaning.
- Have your own personal hygiene items.
- Wash vegetables and fruits before eating.
- Do not use manure that is not composted as fertilizer.
- Have a permanent sexual partner.
- Use condoms.
- When taking tests, use disposable instruments.
- Get vaccinated against hepatitis.
- Use prophylactic drugs for hepatitis C.
At the first suspicion of an illness, it is necessary to consult a specialist. Remember that timely treatment for all types of hepatitis is the key to recovery.