Persistent hepatitis: what is it, symptoms and treatment

The liver in the human body plays an important role. This body is a kind of chemical laboratory, which quickly and reliably cleanses the body of toxic substances, decay products of drugs. If the liver is disturbed due to developing pathologies, then the whole body suffers. One of these diseases is persistent hepatitis. Next, we will deal with the causes of the disease, symptoms and methods of treatment.

The role of the liver in the body

To represent the danger of any liver pathologies, it is important to know what functions this organ performs in the body. And there are a lot of them:

• It produces bile, without which it is impossible to digest fats.
• Disinfect toxic decomposition products of ethyl alcohol, nicotine and drugs.
• It produces albumin and some proteins.
• It takes part in the metabolic reactions of proteins, glucose, vitamins and hormones.
• Responsible for the synthesis of fats and blood coagulation factors.

If a mild form of hepatitis practically does not affect the work of the organ, then severe forms can completely disable the liver.

Pathology Features

Many patients do not know what persistent hepatitis is. A disease is a form of inflammation of the liver. Pathology is characterized by a long course and often does not have specific symptoms. This form of the disease is easily amenable to therapy and is quite controllable if the recommendations of doctors are followed. Persistent hepatitis (ICD-10 assigned him the code K73.0) occurs with long periods of remission and periodic exacerbations. The disease is characterized only by inflammatory processes in the hepatic lobes, but they themselves do not change and there are no signs of fibrosis or necrosis.

Causes of the disease

Persistent hepatitis is most often diagnosed in men who abuse alcohol. But among the causes of the disease, one can note the presence of bad eating habits, infectious pathologies. Factors that provoke chronic persistent hepatitis (ICD-10 code above) can also include:

• A large amount of fatty foods in the diet.
• The use of salt in large quantities.
• Love for pastries and sweets.
• Viral hepatitis.
• Therapy with certain groups of drugs.
• Toxic effect of certain substances on the liver: radionuclides, heavy metals.

The liver is a filter of the body, and the quality of blood purification from toxic and toxic substances, as well as products of the exchange of ethyl alcohol and drugs, depends on its condition.

Symptoms of the disease

Very often, the symptoms of persistent hepatitis (what it is, we have already considered) are associated with fatigue or usual overwork. If there is an effect of provoking factors, then an exacerbation of the pathology is possible with the following manifestations:

• The appearance of discomfort in the liver.
• General weakness.
• Pain of a dull nature in the right hypochondrium.
• Symptoms of persistent hepatitis include loss of appetite.
• Nausea.
• The patient begins to lose weight.
• A hand shake appears.
• Disturbed in the digestive system.
• Yellowness of the skin may appear.
• On palpation, the liver is a little painful, but increases slightly.

Relapse of the disease can also be accompanied by swelling, the appearance of spider veins. Not all patients have a full list of symptoms, an exacerbation can only be accompanied by a digestive disorder or itching of the skin.

Stages of the disease

Chronic persistent hepatitis occurs with an alternation of two stages:

1. Remission.
2. Aggravation.

Pathology is aggravated, as a rule, against the background of violations of doctor's recommendations, alcohol intake or reduced immunity during other diseases.

Remission stage

During this stage, specific therapy is not required, since hepatitis is not active at this time. Recovery is possible without taking medications, it is enough to follow these recommendations:

1. Exclude alcohol from your life. Alcoholic beverages, even the initial stage of the disease, can lead to exacerbation.
2. Correct the diet. Nutrition should be balanced in the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates. It is necessary to remove fatty, fried, flour.
3. Reduce physical activity, but completely excluded is not recommended. Hiking, charging or cycling will suffice.

Compliance with these recommendations will allow you to get rid of persistent hepatitis at the initial stage of development.

Exacerbation of the disease

The stage of exacerbation is shorter than remission, and proceeds with a violation of some functional abilities of the liver. During the examination, specialists detect a slightly increased protein content in the blood. The patient at this time may complain of aching pain in the right side. On palpation, the liver is slightly enlarged. Exacerbation therapy is carried out in an inpatient setting under the supervision of doctors with the prescription of drugs and strict dietary compliance.

Diagnosis of the disease

If suspicious symptoms appear, consult a doctor. Only a full examination will allow you to make an accurate diagnosis. Diagnosis of persistent hepatitis is carried out using the following methods:

• Ultrasound examination of the liver. With exacerbation, an increase in tissue density, an increase in the liver in size is observed. Changes can affect the spleen.
• A blood test for biochemistry shows an increase in the activity of liver enzymes.
• Blood cholesterol indicates a risk of exacerbation of hepatitis and the formation of gallstones.

After receiving the results of the examination and examination of the patient, the doctor makes a final diagnosis and prescribes therapy. If the pathology is at the initial stage of development, then it is enough to adhere to a strict diet, and exacerbated hepatitis will have to be treated in a hospital using drugs.

Treatment for persistent hepatitis

Therapy of the disease provides for the observance of diet No. 5 and the use of medications to eliminate the inflammatory process in the liver tissues. Consider these methods in more detail below.

Drug therapy

Chronic reactive persistent hepatitis is treated using the following groups of drugs:

• To eliminate the effects of intoxication, solutions of sodium chloride and glucose are administered intravenously.
• With reduced immunity, patients are recommended to take the drug "Timalin". The medicine is administered intramuscularly for 7-10 days. After such therapy, remission is observed in 75% of patients.
• If the work of phagocytic cells is reduced, then "Methyluracil" is prescribed. Before taking the tablet, the funds should be crushed and dissolved in water, so the irritating effect on the walls of the stomach is reduced. Duration of admission is 7 days.
• It is recommended that you take Neovir, an immunocorrective drug. The medicine is well tolerated, as it is non-toxic and does not provoke side effects.
• Perfectly removes excess fat from Essentiale liver cells. The preparation contains fatty unsaturated acids, vitamins of groups B and E, nicotinic acid. The drug is effective in the initial stages of the disease, as well as in periods of exacerbation while taking a large amount of alcohol. For patients who do not drink alcohol, the drug gives an insignificant therapeutic effect.

• To accelerate metabolic processes, vitamin preparations are prescribed.
• To restore the process of bile secretion, the herbal-based preparation Hepabene is prescribed.
• Patients are also recommended to take medications to improve appetite, stimulate digestion.

Persistent hepatitis is a pathology that will require long-term therapy, especially if there is an attachment of an infectious form. But there are cases of spontaneous cure without taking antiviral drugs.

Diet food

Nutrition directly affects the liver. This can be explained by several factors:

• Digestion of fatty foods requires the release of a large amount of bile, which is produced by hepatocytes. If the organ is inflamed, then with such an increased load, the cells do not have time to recover.
• Alcohol and some other products break down in the body with the formation of toxic substances, the neutralization of which is carried out in the liver. If they accumulate in large quantities, the liver does not withstand such a load and toxins accumulate in its tissues.

Against the background of these factors, an exacerbation of the disease occurs. Doctors with exacerbation and during remission for the purpose of prevention recommend adhering to diet No. 5. Its basic principles:

• You need to eat often, but in small portions. The daily volume of food is best divided by 5-6 times.
• Control the calorie content of dishes and not consume more calories than they are consumed.
• Exclude alcohol, coffee, flour products, animal fats.
• Reduce salt intake.
• Dishes should be warm, cold and hot contribute to disruption of the digestive process.
• Foods are best consumed in boiled, baked form or steamed.
• Drink at least 2 liters of liquid per day, but it should not be carbonated drinks.

The daily diet should contain the following foods:

• Milk and dairy products.
• Bran can be added to dishes instead of bread.
• Vegetable salads seasoned with vegetable oil: soybean, olive, corn.
• Cereal cereals and soups.
• Fish and lean meats.
• As carbohydrates for the liver, you can eat honey or jam, but within reasonable limits.

It is necessary to completely exclude from the diet:

• Preservation and salting.
• Mushrooms.
• Chocolate.
• Butter baking.
• Fried and fatty foods.
• Alcohol.

Adhering to the principles of proper nutrition and using the drugs recommended by your doctor, you can quickly stop the acute stage of hepatitis. Following a diet for 2-3 months leads to a decrease in the natural size of the affected organ, digestion is established, and the liver begins to function in its normal mode.

Prognosis for patients

Compared with the active form of hepatitis, the persistent is not aggressive and has a good prognosis for patients. Almost half of the patients fully recover, but provided that they strictly adhere to the diet and take the recommended drugs.

Without a serious approach to therapy, it is likely that this form of the disease will turn into chronic active hepatitis, especially if hepatitis D virus infection occurs. It is necessary to ignore the appeared weakness, fatigue, decreased working capacity, and mood swings. Asthenovegetative symptoms are often accompanied by dyspeptic syndrome with bloating, nausea, bitterness in the mouth. Such symptoms require serious examination and therapy.

Disease complications

Persistent hepatitis compared with other forms of pathology rarely provokes the development of serious complications. It can be noted that patients are at risk of constant pain and discomfort from the liver if they do not take therapy seriously.

It should always be borne in mind that persistent hepatitis often accompanies other pathologies of the liver or digestive system. Therefore, a full examination is necessary to exclude them. The role of the liver is great in our body, therefore, without treatment, you can wait until cirrhosis or fibrosis, and such conditions are dangerous with complete organ failure.

If controlling your lifestyle is the work of each patient, then only a doctor should prescribe treatment. Self-medication in such cases is fraught with harmful consequences.

Disease prevention

Many people ask the question: is persistent hepatitis contagious or not? This form of pathology does not pose a danger to others, but this does not mean that therapy is not required. But, following simple recommendations, you can avoid the development of the disease:

• For occasional sexual intercourse, use a condom to prevent viral hepatitis infection.
• Do not decorate your body with tattoos for the same reason.
• Visit trusted medical facilities.
• Do not use other people's hygiene products, men should have their own razor, for example, on a business trip.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs in your life.
• Lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
• Keep track of your weight.
• Review the diet and include more fresh vegetables and fruits, exclude all harmful foods, fatty and fried.

The liver is an organ that is capable of recovery, but for this it is necessary to make efforts and revise the diet, to lead a healthy lifestyle. Timely therapy will help to quickly cope with the symptoms of pathology and restore the body's health.