Health
Hepatitis
Hepatitis (plural hepatitides) implies injury to the liver characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from ancient Greek hepar or hepato- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning “inflammation” . The condition can be self-limiting, healing on its own, or can progress to scarring of the liver.
Viruses cause most cases of hepatitis. The type of hepatitis is named for the virus that causes it; for example, hepatitis A, hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Drug or alcohol use can also lead to hepatitis. In other cases, your body mistakenly attacks its own tissues.The course of hepatitis can be difficult to predict. See a doctor if you think you have it. Treatment depends on the virus and the nature of your infection. Not everyone completely recovers from the disease and some go on to develop chronic hepatitis. But with proper medical care, you can be in control of your health, improving your chances to live a full, productive life.
Hepatitis infection causes inflammation of the liver, which means that the liver becomes swollen and damaged and begins losing its ability to function. People with hepatitis often get symptoms similar to those caused by other virus infections, such as weakness, tiredness, and nausea.There is no specific treatment for HAV and most people fight off the virus naturally, returning to full health within a couple of months. The doctor will advise avoiding alcohol and fatty foods as these can be hard for the liver to process and may exacerbate the inflammation.Current medical treatment for HCV is limited to pegylated interferon combination therapy. This therapy is effective in less than 50% of cases of HCV genotype 1 (the most common genotype in North America). Two companies, Roche and Schering, have their own FDA approved versions. Each claims their formulation is superior for treating Hepatitis C. Your doctor will likely recommend one or the other (doctors have no other medicine to offer to treat this disease).In addition to the standard treatment with interferon and ribavirin, some studies have shown higher success rates when the antiviral drug amantadine (Symmetrel) is added to the regimen. Sometimes called “triple therapy”, it involves the addition of 100mg of amantadine twice a day. Studies indicate that this may be especially helpful for “nonresponders” - patients who have not been successful in previous treatments using interferon and ribavirin only.
