The word hepatitis comes from the Ancient Greek word hepar, which means liver, as well as the Latin word itis for inflammation. The condition leads to an inflammation of the liver cells, from a virus. The liver is the largest gland in the body and weighs around 3lbs. It’s divided into four lobes of different sizes and lengths, and is the largest internal organ – the largest organ in the body is the skin. It’s located just below the diaphragm on the right hand side of the abdomen. Blood reaches the liver by the hepatic artery and the portal vein, which also carries blood containing digested food from the small intestine. The hepatic artery carries blood from the aorta which is oxygen-rich. Each of the lobules is made up of hepatic cells, which make up the whole of the liver – these are the basic metabolic cells of the liver. The liver carries out a number of functions in the body, including detoxification of substances like alcohol, storing vitamins and minerals, synthesising proteins, producing biochemicals such as bile, maintaining the appropriate levels of glucose, and decomposing red blood cells. Hepatitis can heal itself without the need for treatment, and without any significant consequence to your health, but it can also progress to scarring the liver. Acute hepatitis lasts under six months, but chronic hepatitis can last much longer. Most of the liver damage resulting from hepatitis is caused by the three hepatitis viruses, known as hepatitis A, B and C. It can also be brought on from alcohol and other toxins or infections though, as well as the body’s own autoimmune process where the body attacks itself. It’s thought that around 250 million around the world are affected by hepatitis C, and around 300 million people are believed to be carriers of hepatitis B. Not all forms of this condition are infectious, as alcohol and chemicals are bad for the liver and can lead to inflammation. People with this problem may also have a genetic problem or have an immune related injury.
Hepatitis A is caused from infected food or water, which is infected with a virus called HAV. It can also be caused by anal-oral contact during sex, but nearly everyone who has hepatitis A makes a full recovery. This form of the condition is not chronic, nor will it develop to become so. Hepatitis B is an STD which is caused by the virus HBV and is spread by contact with infected blood, semen or other bodily fluids. Unprotected sex or using unsterilized needles can lead to you catching this disease, but babies can also become infected if their mother has the condition. In those with this condition, the liver swells and it can cause serious liver damage because of the infection. This can even lead to cancer in some cases. Hepatitis C is generally spread by infected blood and is caused by HCV – as with hepatitis B, it causes the liver to swell and become infected. Most people with hepatitis will either experience very mild symptoms or none at all, which is why it is so easy to have this problem and not realise. It’s important to remember that an infected person’s faeces are always infectious to other people, and that when symptoms appear they do so around 150 to 180 days after the person has contracted the disease. In the early stages you may experience aching muscles or a headache, and some people get a rash. The jaundice phase leads to dark urine, a yellowing of the whites of your eyes and skin, and you may have light-coloured stools. In the recovery phase, you will experience a tiredness that lasts for weeks.
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