World Hepatitis Day: Are Hepatitis B And C Curable? An Overview- Dr Seyitan
Are Hepatitis B and C curable? Hepatitis is simply put, inflammation of the liver, that is, the body’s response to an insult to the liver. Several agents can “insult” the liver, from toxins to chemicals (alcohol) to infectious agents like viruses and parasites. However, the focus of this article is on hepatitis caused by viruses. Of the various hepatotripic (liver-loving) viruses, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus stand out, because of the ability of these viruses to persist in the liver for long periods of time, causing long term damage and deterioration to the liver over many years. This often leads to liver failure or liver cancer (hepatocelluar carcinoma). These viruses are transmitted via blood (sharing or sharps, accidental needle stick injuries, transfusion of unscreened blood etc.) and body fluids like vaginal secretions and semen. Infected persons can present acutely with anorexia, nausea, vomiting, body aches, low-grade fever before developing yello...