Hepatitis
Alternate Names : Viral Hepatitis
What can be done to prevent the disease?
Preventing
types A, B, and C hepatitis is possible by receiving the hepatitis A, hepatitis
B, or hepatitis C vaccine.
Other ways to decrease the risk of hepatitis include:
practicing good hygiene, such as washing hands well after using the restroom
or changing diapers
avoiding drinking or using tap water when traveling internationally
avoiding behaviors like sharing drug needles, or having unprotected sexual
intercourse with an infected person
avoiding the sharing of personal hygiene items, such as razors or nail
clippers
avoiding toxic substances and decreased
alcohol consumption
an injection of immune globulin after exposure to hepatitis A or B, which
may prevent the infection from developing
the use of safety precautions by healthcare and day care workers
What are the long-term effects of the disease?
Chronic hepatitis
can lead to:
cirrhosis and liver failure in
adults, which does not generally occur in children. Cirrhosis causes multiple
problems, including the possibility of liver cancer.
illnesses in other parts of the body, such as kidney damage or low blood
counts
cancer of the liver
increased risk of death in people with
HIV
What are the risks to others?
Hepatitis is highly
contagious and can be spread to others. The risk of exposure to others will
depend on the type of hepatitis.
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