Prevention, crucial in combating viral hepatitis and reducing liver damage

Afra Afzal Sait | NT

Bengaluru: Creating awareness about viral hepatitis and its impact on the global population has been the need of the hour.

Medical experts are mobilizing efforts to combat the disease, promote equal access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care, and advocate measures to prevent liver damage caused by hepatitis.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by varied infectious viruses and noninfectious agents leading to a range of health problems.

Doctors see the need to take necessary steps to scale up diagnosis, prevention and treatment of liver diseases and also eliminate it.

The hepatitis causes infections viral (hepatitis virus A, B, C, and E), bacterial and non-infectious diseases like fatty liver, liver cirrhosis as a result of drugs, heavy use of alcohol, toxins, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, unhealthy food habits like consuming carbonated drinks, junk food, fast food etc.

The fatty liver disease is a very common cause of liver cirrhosis and is completely reversible with diet and lifestyle modifications.

As we understand the liver is an extremely vital organ that metabolizes nutrients, filters the blood of harmful products. It is safer to follow precautions to save it from further damage.

However, Hepatitis A and E are primarily transmitted through contaminated food and water. These types typically have acute symptoms, and most people recover fully without any long-term liver damage.

However, in rare cases, it can lead to acute liver failure, which can be life-threatening. The other, Hepatitis viruses B and C are blood borne viruses and are usually transmitted through contact with infected blood or body fluids.

These types often result in chronic infections, which can cause serious liver damage over time. Chronic hepatitis B and C infections are leading causes of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Hepatitis D is a unique type that can only affect individuals who are already infected with hepatitis B. It is considered the most severe form of viral hepatitis, as it can accelerate liver damage and increase the risk of liver failure.

In addition medical experts say this ‘silent killer’ can be asymptomatic until it reaches an advanced stage making it complicated and resulting in decreased patient’s quality of life.

To conclude on this the doctors at Fortis hospital in the city suggest and recommend that people stay healthy by consuming a healthy food diet, engaging in regular exercise for at least 30 minutes per day one can maintain healthy organs and overall well being.

Some well-known doctors like Dr Balaji Gurappa, Gastroenterologist Fortis, Bengaluru, say, “It is advised to safeguard and secure the liver to stay healthy”.

Hence, the doctors and experts are working towards eliminating or reducing the burden of fatty liver disease in the society by conducting extensive and advanced liver function assessments, fibro scans, sonogram of the liver, liver function tests and viral markers testing.