Hepatitis

Essay by msa7la101College, UndergraduateA, November 2014

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Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells or the organ. Hepatitis may occur with limited or no symptoms, but often leads to jaundice, anorexia and malaise. Hepatitis is acute when it lasts less than six months and chronic when it persists longer.

There are 5 types of Hepatitis; A, B, C, D, and E. Each caused by a different hepatitis virus. Hepatitis A is caused by eating food and drinking water infected with a virus called HAV. It can also be caused by anal-oral contact during sex. While it can cause swelling and inflammation in the liver, it doesn't lead to chronic, or life long, disease. Almost everyone who gets hepatitis A has a full recovery. Hepatitis B is caused by the virus HBV. It is spread by contact with an infected person's blood, semen, or other body fluid.

And, it is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). You can get hepatitis by having unprotected sex with an infected person, using (unsterile) needles and tools that were used on someone else such as drug needles and razors. An infected woman can give hepatitis B to her baby at birth or through her breast milk. Hepatitis C is caused by the virus HCV. It is spread the same way as hepatitis B, through contact with an infected person's blood, semen, or body fluid. Like hepatitis B, hepatitis C causes swelling of the liver and can cause liver damage that can lead to cancer. Most people who have hepatitis C develop a chronic infection. This may lead to a scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis. Hepatitis D is caused by the virus HDV. You can only get hepatitis D if you are already infected with hepatitis B. It is...