What is Hepatitis?

Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver, which can range from mild to severe. There are many different forms of Hepatitis including; Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, Autoimmune Hepatitis, and Toxic Hepatitis.

What causes Hepatitis?

Hepatitis A is caused by a virus which attacks the liver. The virus is transmitted through contaminated food (i.e. raw or insufficiently cooked seafood and shellfish) and contaminated water. It can be transmitted when someone infected with the virus doesn’t wash their hands properly after a bowel movement and then touches something you eat.

Hepatitis B is caused by a virus which attacks the liver. It can be spread through blood contact with any body fluid of an infected person. It is easily transmitted through unprotected sex with an infected person and from mother to newborn child.

Hepatitis C is caused by a virus which attacks the liver. It is transmitted by blood to blood contact with an infected individual including sharing injection needles and drug equipment, tattoos and body piercing using unsterile equipment and sharing personal items like razors or toothbrushes. Another way of transmission is through a blood transfusion prior to 1990 from a donor who had hepatitis C.  The risk of receiving Hepatitis C from a blood transfusion is now extremely low because of the universal testing of all blood donors.

Toxic Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by chemicals. Many chemicals that are intentionally or unintentionally inhaled or consumed can have toxic effects on the liver. Among these chemicals are drugs, industrial solvents and pollutants.

Autoimmune Hepatitis - Autoimmune refers to the body’s own immune system attacking another part of the body. How and why the body’s own immune system attacks the liver is not yet known. It appears that certain types of white blood cells which usually attack foreign substances (e.g. germs and viruses) misread liver cells as foreign substances and start attacking these cells.

What are the signs and symptoms of Hepatitis?

Hepatitis A causes most patients to suffer flu-like symptoms including weakness, headache and fever. Other symptoms may include stomach cramps, diarrhea and jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes). These symptoms can last for several weeks and hospitalization may be required.

Hepatitis B causes no symptoms in most patients and they recover completely. Others get a brief, acute illness with fatigue, loss of appetite and jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes)

Hepatitis C causes no symptoms in most patients. Others may develop fatigue, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), abdominal and joint pain, nausea and loss of appetite.

Autoimmune Hepatitis causes no symptoms at all in most patients. Other patients may experience fatigue, decreased appetite, drowsiness, or even aches or pains in the muscles or joints. Some patients may notice jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes)
as the first symptom.

Toxic Hepatitis can resemble any form of acute or chronic liver disease, such as viral hepatitis or bile-duct obstruction. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fever, jaundice as well as liver blood tests and liver biopsy findings are often identical to viral hepatitis. On the other hand, symptoms like fever, abdominal pain and jaundice can mimic other liver conditions, such as stones blocking the bile ducts.

How common is Hepatitis?

Up to 600,000 Canadians are living with chronic hepatitis B and C, leading to disability and death and causing a serious health burden on the country. An estimated 3000-7000 new cases are reported each year. There are not any recent statistics on the other forms of Hepatitis, however  it is important to note that virtually every drug imaginable has at one time or another been indicated as a cause of toxic hepatitis.

What health problems are caused by Hepatitis?

Hepatitis A will eventually run its course and once you’ve had the virus, you develop a lifelong immunity to it. Death is rare but may occur in up to three percent of older people, usually with acute liver failure.

Hepatitis B when chronic can lead to cirrhosis (liver scarring) and/or cancer of the liver later in life. This occurs in less than 5% of adults who get acute hepatitis.

Hepatitis C can cause serious health risks if infection with another virus such as hepatitis A occurs.

Autoimmune Hepatitis can cause cirrhosis (liver scarring) in patients whose inflammation continues or who have not been detected and diagnosed until too late. If inflammation continues, the cirrhosis usually worsens eventually reaching a stage called endstage liver failure.

Toxic Hepatitis can occasionally cause chronic liver disease and even cirrhosis if the toxin (i.e. medication) is not stopped. (Please note that medications should only be discontinued under the care of a registered health care practitioner).

What can be done to help with Hepatitis?

• Take Critical Liver Support, which improves liver function and provides therapeutic liver protection as well as antioxidant protection.
• Take Organic Clear Fibre, a daily fiber supplement that helps to soak up toxins from the liver.
• Take Norwegian Gold Daily Omega, a daily Omega 3 (EFA) supplement that helps to rebuild healthy new liver cells.