Hepatitis
Often, no symptoms manifest until late in its development.
Sometimes, flu like symptoms including appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever, fatigue, weakness, and muscle or joint pain.
In severe cases, jaundice (yellow discoloration of your skin and the whites of your eyes), dark brown urine, clay-colored stools, itching, and pain in the upper right portion of your abdomen (where your liver is located).
What is it?
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, an organ that performs many vital functions.
Your liver not only produces bile to help digest fats, it also stores nutrients and filters toxic substances (such as alcohol and other drugs and digestive by-products) out of your blood.
Hepatitis damages liver cells. As a result, the liver can’t do its filtering job properly and toxins can build up.
The disease can occur suddenly and last only weeks (called acute hepatitis) or persist for several months or even years (known as chronic hepatitis). You may not know you’re infected because symptoms may not appear for years.
Hepatitis is usually caused by a virus.
There are five different hepatitis viruses, but the most common are hepatitis A, B, and C.
Hepatitis A (the most common type) can spread when you eat food or drink water contaminated with feces. This may occur when food preparers don’t follow proper sanitary practices such as washing hands after using the toilet and before preparing food. Consuming contaminated raw or undercooked shellfish, contaminated fruits and vegetables, and contaminated drinking water or ice cubes can also lead to infection.
Once you’re infected with hepatitis A you can transmit it to others for a period of time ranging from a week to more than a month. If you’re
You’re more likely to get hepatitis if you:
eastern Europe, or American Indian, Native Alaskan, or Pacific Islander communities.
can cause diarrhea) and antihistamines and antacids that contain aluminum salts (which can cause constipation).
• Antispasmodics are used to treat intestinal spasms, cramping, constipation, and diarrhea.
They include chlordiazepoxide (Librax), dicyclomine (Bentyl), hyosycamine (Levsin or Levsinex), and Phenobarbital (Donnatal).
• Antidiarrheals or laxatives can relieve severe diarrhea or constipation but should be used only on occasion.
• Antidepressants can help LBS sufferers who are overly sensitive to normal digestive contractions.
Your doctor may prescribe low doses of tn-cyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), desipramine (Nor pramin), or imipramine (Tofranil), or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft).
Fever, bloody stools, and weight loss aren’t typical lBS symptoms and may signal a more serious problem, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or cancer. Call your doctor right away if these symptoms occur.
A new drug appears to help women with LBS who suffer mainly from diarrhea. In a 12-week study, 41 percent of women taking 1 mg of alosetron (Lotronex) twice a day reported adequate pain and symptom relief compared with 29 percent of those taking a placebo.
The most common side effect was constipation.
The drug is now being tested in men.
Two other experimental drugs, tegaserod (Zelmac) and prucalopride (there is no brand name yet) hold promise for LBS sufferers whose main symptom is constipation. All three drugs work by blocking intestinal cell receptors for the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Don’t pull the trigger.
Avoiding certain foods may help you dodge lBS attacks. Consider eliminating these potential triggers: alcohol, caffeine, carbonated beverages (with the possible exception of ginger ale), dairy products, gas-producing foods, high-fat foods, spicy foods, milk and fruit sugars (lactose and fructose), and artificial sweeteners (sorbitol and aspartame).
Pick peppermint. A Welsh study found that four out of five lBS sufferers felt better after.
the the that may help reduce spasms or relax muscles in digestive tract
Other herbals are ginger, chamomile, valenian root, rosemary, and cramp bark. Try them in from the effects brewed teas.
Taking peppermint-oil capsules.helps keep your digestive system healthy because it causes release of brain chemicals called endorphins.
Endorphins help buffer the body of stress, which in turn may help reduce LBS symptoms.
Faster fiber. If you have trouble adding enough fiber rich foods to your diet, consider supplementing with psyllium or methylcellulose. Both of these substances help soften stools and cleanse the intestinal tract.
Try 30-minute sessions of walking, swimming, bicycling, or other aerobic activities three to five times a week.
• Learn to relax. Try reducing your stress through massage, meditation, yoga, or tai chi (a coordinated breathing and movement technique). Biofeedback and hypnosis can also help.
Alcohol is a known liver toxin.
Some people can drink alcohol without any apparent ill effects while others, particularly women, can suffer permanent liver damage from even moderate amounts. Experts aren’t sure why this happens, but genes seem to play a role. If someone in your family has had liver disease (caused or not caused by alcohol consumption), you may be more susceptible to liver failure.
Fast Fact
About
4 million Americans have chronic hepatitis C infection. Because liver damage
from hepatitis C doesn’t show up for years, doctors expect that more people
will be diagnosed with the disease as the population ages.
Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and other infected body
fluids, including semen. You can contract it
through unprotected sex (sex without a condom), infected needles, or blood
transfusions. Unlike hepatitis A, this virus can turn into a chronic infection
(in up to 10 percent of people), leading to liver disease and liver cancer.
Hepatitis C is spread through infected blood, either by
transfusions given before 1990 (when blood was first screened for hepatitis C)
or by contaminated needles. Doctors aren’t sure if hepatitis C can be
transmitted during sexual intercourse. For now, it’s safest to always use a
condom.
This virus affects people in a variety of ways. Some
develop a severe (acute) form of hepatitis but recover in several months with
no liver failure. But up to 60 percent of those infected with hepatitis C go on
to have chronic hepatitis. Some even develop liver failure and liver cancer.
Hepatitis C kills 10,000 people in the United States every year.
NONVIRAL CAUSES
Hepatitis can also have nonviral causes including
excessive alcohol consumption, certain medications, toxins (arsenic or
poisonous mushrooms), and some herbal remedies (comfrey and chaparral leaf).
Alcohol poisons the liver and over time causes
cirrhosis (scarring), which cannot be reversed. Prescription drugs that can
lead to liver failure include the antibiotic trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole
(Bactrim), the heart drug amiodarone (Cordarone), the tuberculosis drug
isoniazid (JNH), and anabolic steroids (in overdoses). Talk to your doctor
before you stop taking any drug.
Another cause of hepatitis is the over-the-counter
pain reliever acetaminophen (Tylenol). When taken in overdoses (more than 20
extra-strength pills per day) or with alcohol, acetaminophen can cause sudden
and severe hepatitis and rapid death if not treated.
SimpleSolution
Because the ingredients in herbal remedies aren’t
regulated, they may include toxic substances that can hurt your liver. Choose
herbal products made by established manufacturers to help avoid problems.
Hepatitis C is the most common reason for liver transplants, accounting for 30 percent of all cases.
If you have symptoms of hepatitis, your doctor will ask about your medical history and perform a physical exam, checking the area near your liver for tenderness and your skin for the telltale yellowing of jaundice.
Your doctor might also use one of the following tests to confirm a diagnosis of hepatitis:
• Blood tests check for specific markers that can reveal if you’ve had the disease in the past and if you have an acute or chronic infection now.
• Liver function tests (LFTs) help your doctor evaluate how well your liver is operating. The tests can confirm the presence of jaundice and may be used to monitor your condition. LFTs aren’t done routinely as part of a physical exam. If you have any hepatitis risk factors, ask your doctor whether it makes sense to order LFTs.
• Computed tomography (CT) scan of your abdominal area lets your doctor see a picture of your liver.
• Liver biopsy is a procedure in which a tiny piece of liver tissue is removed and studied under the microscope. For a liver biopsy, your skin is numbed with an anesthetic and a needle is guided into your liver to take the tissue sample.
* How is it treated?
There is no medication to cure viral hepatitis; your body’s immune system has to battle it on its own. If your hepatitis was caused by some thing other than a virus, your doctor will recommend that you stop using the causative substance to speed your recovery.
Hospitalization is rarely needed for hepatitis, but for several months after you are diagnosed, blood tests may be done periodically to check how your liver is functioning. Your doctor may also recommend the following treatments.
Drink plenty of fluids, get lots of rest, and limit your activities until you feel better. Don’t use alcohol or acetaminophen until you are completely recovered.
To prevent spreading the disease, be scrupulous about hygiene and always use a condom during sex.
Therapy with high-dose interferon and ribavirin (Virazole) has helped some people with hepatitis C. Discuss this therapy with your doctor.
Is the Blood Supply Safe?
After the early 1990s, the threat of transfusion-related hepatitis plummeted. Your risk of getting hepatitis C from a blood transfusion today is only about 0.001 percent. But before 1990 the nation’s blood supply wasn’t screened for either hepatitis B or C.
If you had a blood transfusion before 1990, you should ask your doctor for tests to evaluate your liver function.
• Cook it right. Thoroughly cook all foods, especiallyshellfish, to kill the hepatitis A virus.
• Please peel. Peel all fruits and vegetables imported from countries where sanitary conditions are poor. Washing produce will not remove the hepatitis A virus.
• Water warning. When traveling abroad, buy bottled water or make sure tap water has been boiled before you drink it or use it to brush your teeth, and ask for drinks without ice.
• Get vaccinated. Vaccines are available for hepatitis A and B. Three doses provide full and lasting protection. If you are traveling to high-risk areas, start the hepatitis.
OUR COMMENTS:
They continue:
A vaccine at least one month before your trip. Get the
hepatitis B vaccine if you might be exposed to infected blood or body fluids or
if you are at high risk. People at high risk include health care workers,
acupuncturists, tattoo artists, and people with multiple sex partners can be
infected, you must be scrupulous about hygiene, because exposing others to your
blood or stools can infect them.
Americans are more likely to get hepatitis A when
traveling abroad, but up to 50 percent of all Americans have had the virus and,
as a result, are now immune to it. Recovery is usually quick—most people are
back to normal within one week and have no permanent liver damage.
OUR COMMENTS:
Americans are susceptible to developing a liver
congested condition (blockage of bile) because they are the most likely to be
over eaters and these systems are most likely to appear since they are already
over feed and in digestive trouble.
Their bodies have becomes a reservoir of toxins so by the time they go
overseas they are well on their way to developing the condition, so why
shouldn’t they be susceptible!
• Boost your immunity. If you think you’ve eaten contaminated food, or if someone in your household has been diagnosed with hepatitis, ask your doctor for a shot of immune globulin (if you haven’t had the hepatitis vaccine). It offers short-term protection against the virus.
OUR COMMENTS:
NO, NO, NO, boost your immune system by eating
correctly and not putting toxic poisons into your body that cause blockages of
bile and other similar symptoms of poisoning called hepatitis, etc. It is obvious that everyone does not get
this condition, even if they are exposed every day to someone with that
condition.
How do they or did they get treated before it is so
toxic a plague? It is obvious that
those who are going to (contract that condition are only those who are already
primed by their own discretions if their diets and life style. Even the Allopathic research scientists have
given this as an answer, even if you cannot see that!
They have been giving you the answers to your problems
every time they do their pseudo-scientific research and open their mouth and
falsely proclaim their deceptions as the truth! Why else do they want to dominate the Natural Health System that
works better than their drugs and will control health care world wide before
the people continue to accept their deceptive methods!
Taking even 12 pills of extra-strength acetaminophen (Tylenol) a day increases your risk of liver damage. And if you drink alcohol while you’re taking it, as few as 4 pills can be toxic.
Helpful herb. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) improves the liver’s ability to function in people with hepatitis, although it won’t reverse liver damage. It’s available in capsules, or the crushed seeds can be brewed as a tea. Take 200 mg two or three times a day.
• Limit the liquor. Drink alcohol in moderation.
• Play it safe. Practice safe sex and always use a condom. Be especially careful if your partner has been diagnosed with the disease.
• Wash up. Wash your hands with soap and hot water before preparing food and after using the toilet and changing diapers to help prevent the spread of infection.
• Skip the needle. Contaminated needles can spread hepatitis A and B.
Avoid tattoos and body piercings, and don’t inject illegal drugs.
• Don’t share. Don’t share a razor or toothbrush with someone who’s infected with hepatitis B or C, because the virus is spread through blood and body fluids.