28th July is considered to be World Hepatitis Day. Viral hepatitis can invade the human body in a variety of ways, but it is in your hands to prevent this infection from intruding your body and mess with your health. Hepatitis is a disease that takes a toll on the human liver. There are 5 different types of hepatitis from Hepatitis A to E, but there are ways you can take to prevent yourself against the same, such as:

Know how the Hepatitis spread: On the basis of the different types of Hepatitis, there are two main ways by which hepatitis gets its way from one person to another, contact with infected blood and body fluid as well as contact with the infected stool. It is important to note here that Hepatitis A and E are carried through the faeces of the affected individual. Also, a person may get infected with Hepatitis A and E even if you consume contaminated food and water. Hepatitis B, C along with D can also spread through the infected blood. 
Get the proper immunization: There are vaccines available all across the world to prevent spreading Hepatitis A and B. But it is crucial to point here that it is not possible to prevent Hepatitis C and D and sometimes Hepatitis E as well. But the Hepatitis C can be cured when the patient has received effective anti-viral medications. There are no vaccinations for Hepatitis D but the virus causing this infection requires Hepatitis B for survival. Therefore, getting vaccinated against Hepatitis B will help prevent the disease from affecting you.
Get the right precautions while travelling: When travelling, no one can tell whether you will get access to clean and purified water. Water contaminated with impurities can lead to Hepatitis A as well as E. You should take proper precautions and immunizations in the first place. If you are going to a place that doesn t have access to clean water, you should steer clear from ice cubes, running tap water, cut fruits and raw vegetables which may have been cleaned in the water with impurities.
By being aware and taking necessary precaution, getting affected by hepatitis can be prevented.

World Hepatitis Day - How You Can Prevent Yourself?

Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and it can spread from one person to another through infected blood. In the initial stages, the symptoms of the disease are very mild and therefore, the infection goes undetected most of the time but when the symptoms turn serious, they need to be treated as turning a blind eye could prove dangerous. It can lead to liver cirrhosis and even liver failure. So, specific symptoms such as dark urine, fever, weight loss, fatigue, and pain in the abdomen should not be ignored and one must go for diagnosis. If hepatitis C is detected, the treatment should be started immediately and if one takes recourse to Ayurveda, then he or she can be sure of a  side-effects free  treatment.

Ayurvedic medicines help balance pitta
Ayurveda supposes that any liver disease or liver infection is caused by pitta vitiation because this life energy governs the liver. It is believed that when pitta becomes aggravated, it affects the functioning of the liver. The liver becomes inflamed and is unable to remove the poisonous substances from the body, leading to a buildup of toxins. So, Ayurveda deals with the aggravated pitta at first. It prescribes medicines and foods that calm the pitta. For example, medicines such as katuki, kalmegha, haritaki, and guduchi eliminate the excess pitta from the body. The Ayurvedic therapies such as abhyanga and panda sveda also aim at removing the pitta and toxins from the body.

Ayurveda heals the liver
In hepatitis C, the liver is affected by the infection. It undergoes swelling and scarring. So, the Ayurvedic medicines try to repair this damage done to the liver walls. The herbal medicines prescribed by the Ayurvedic doctor such as punarnava and bhumi amla have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that relax the inflamed liver walls. They also repair the damaged tissues and restore the liver to its normal state. Light food items such as oats, barley, and fruits get digested easily and do not put strain any strain on the liver. They are highly conducive to the recuperating body and during the treatment procedure, enhance the efficacy of the medicines

Ayurvedic treatment boosts immunity
Hepatitis C, being an infectious disease, directly impacts the immune system of the body. So, Ayurvedic treatment also focuses on strengthening the immunity of the patient. An easily digestible diet and medicines such as turmeric, bhringaraj, and bhumyalaki work at restoring immunity. The therapies also give the immunity a boost and when this happens, the body can fight the infection more effectively.

So, Ayurveda uses a multi-pronged treatment strategy for hepatitis C, which proves helpful in treating the infection from the roots. It works at different levels because the motive is to provide permanent relief and not temporary comfort. This is why, diet restrictions, lifestyle regulation, and abstinence are given so much importance. Ayurveda is a holistic science that cures any disease by dealing with all the problem areas. This is why, in case of hepatitis C, the patient not just gets relief from the symptoms but their liver also recovers to its original healthy state.





Ayurvedic Remedies For Hepatitis C!

Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver, which may often progress to dangerous complications. There are many types of Hepatitis and each has its own particular set of causes, symptoms, mode of contraction and treatment procedures. Here are the main types of Hepatitis as well as some of the factors which may cause Hepatitis:

Types
1. Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A virus infection causes this condition. The Hepatitis A virus comes from food or water contaminated with the feces of someone contaminated with Hepatitis A. This is not a chronic form of Hepatitis.
2. Hepatitis B: This is a chronic form of Hepatitis. It is spread through body fluid, such as blood, saliva and semen. The possible causes of Hepatitis B include use of drugs through injections, having sex with an infected partner and sharing razors or other intimate articles with someone who is infected.
3.  Hepatitis C: This is also a chronic form of Hepatitis.The most common causes of Hepatitis C are injection drug use or having sex.
4.  Hepatitis D: This is a not a chronic form of Hepatitis and is also very uncommon. It is usually contracted along with Hepatitis B. It is usually caused due to puncture wounds or contact with infected blood.
5. Hepatitis E: This is the most uncommon form of Hepatitis. It is due to poor sanitation and ingesting fecal matter. It is usually found in developing countries.

Causes
1. Virus: This is the usual way of contracting Hepatitis. The virus attacks the liver and causes inflammation leading to the breakdown of a number of body systems.
2. Alcohol and other toxins: Alcohol and certain prescribed medications cause the liver to swell and that is why this form of Hepatitis is known as alcoholic Hepatitis.
3.  Autoimmune disease: This is the rarest cause of Hepatitis. The immune system malfunctions and begins destroying its own tissues. It attacks the liver because it perceives the liver to be a foreign object.

Hepatitis : Types and Their Causes

HepatitisThe problem of hepatitis is related to an inflammatory condition of liver. It occurs mainly due to infection caused by virus but there are other possible causes as well. Hepatitis can be temporary or viral. Temporary hepatitis, which is acute in nature, gets resolved on its own. Viral hepatitis can be of five types, A, B, C, D and E.

Now, let us discuss about the causes behind each type of hepatitis, which results in liver problem.

Causes

The fact that we have identified five types of Hepatitis, A, B, C, D and E, let s take a look at the causes behind the occurrence of all these types:

Hepatitis A: The most common way through which this type of virus gets transmitted, is through consuming food or water contaminated by wastes from a person infected with hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B: One can suffer from Hepatitis B, if one comes in contact with infectious body fluids like blood, secretions from vagina, semen, taking drugs through injections, containing the virus of Hepatitis B.
Hepatitis C: This is also transmitted when someone comes in direct contact with fluids of an infected person, through injection drugs and sexual contact. As per the reports of Union Health Ministry, about 1.2 crore people of India are suffering from Hepatitis C, with the worst affected region being North India.
Hepatitis D: It is a rare form of hepatitis, also known as delta hepatitis, occurs as a result of coming into direct contact with infected blood. Hepatitis D is rare because it only takes place in conjunction with hepatitis B infection.
Hepatitis E: This virus is mainly caused in areas of poor sanitation.  It is a waterborne disease, resulting from ingesting faecal matter that contaminates water supply. Cases of Hepatitis E have been mainly reported in Middle East, Asia, Central America and Africa.
Symptoms Of Hepatitis

Hepatitis, in its initial phase is called the acute phase. The following symptoms along with mild flu are visible:

Loss of appetite
Fatigue
Joint pains
Pain in the abdomen
Nausea
Weight loss
Jaundice
Though this phase is not really dangerous but for some patients, it can result in liver failure leading to death. 

Treatment for Hepatitis

Treatment options for different types of hepatitis are:

Hepatitis A: This doesn t require treatment as it is short-term in nature. In case the symptoms cause a lot of discomfort, then bed rest is recommended. Vaccine is available to prevent this infection.
Hepatitis B: Acute Hepatitis B doesn t require treatment either. Its chronic form can be treated with antiviral medications. This can be prevented with vaccination.
Hepatitis C: This type of hepatitis, both in its acute and chronic forms, is treated through antiviral medications.
Hepatitis D: According to a study in 2013, a drug known as alpha interferon is used to treat this type of hepatitis but unfortunately this only comes to the rescue of 25-30% people.
Hepatitis E: This acute form of hepatitis gets resolved on its own. Adequate rest, drinking sufficient amount of water and taking enough nutrients in their food are some of the ways to get healed from this disease.

Hepatitis - Know The Types & Their Signs!

Autoimmune Hepatitis is a condition in which the liver gets inflamed. This occurs when the immune system of the body attacks the liver cells. Still, the actual cause of Autoimmune Hepatitis is still unknown. 

In general, environmental and genetic factors trigger this condition. It is one of the chronic diseases which when left untreated can lead to Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) or the worst Liver Failure. Still, if it is diagnosed at an early stage, it can be treated by using certain medications. 

Although there are many ways by which it can be controlled or treated, the Ayurvedic approach is one of the best ways to treat this condition without any side effects. Ayurveda works on the principle of balancing the doshas and energies of the body.

Before understanding how Ayurveda helps in treating Autoimmune Hepatitis, let's explore the functioning of the liver.

Liver and Its Function:

The liver is an important organ and gland of the body that participates in the process of digestion. It secretes bile juice that helps in the digestion of fat. Apart from this, the liver also plays an important role in the filtration mechanism. It filters unprocessed components and toxins. It prevents the toxins from going into circulation and damaging the important organs of the body. It also filters the toxins from circulating the food essence coming through the portal circulation (circulation of blood from the small intestine, spleen, and right half of the colon to the liver). The liver is one of the hematopoietic organs that help in the process of cell maturation.

In Ayurveda, the liver is known as Yakrit, which forms  channels that carry mature blood throughout the body (Rakta Vaha Srotas). The liver is the chief site of Ranjaka Pitta i.e., one of the subtypes of Pitta. The Ranjaka Pitta is responsible for the force by which the heart pushes the blood to other parts of the body. It also helps in blood circulation.

If the Pitta is vitiated in the liver, it may cause inflammation of the liver and generate an autoimmune process leading to a condition called Autoimmune Hepatitis.

Autoimmune Hepatitis And Ayurveda:

Among the three doshas (Pitta, Vata, and Kapha) in Ayurveda, Pitta participates in the activities related to the digestion process. If it gets imbalanced, it starts destroying the components and cells of the body, mainly the organs or areas in which it is produced and stored. This also affects the channels and areas where it is functional and all the parts which come in contact with impaired Pitta.

When Pitta is imbalanced in the liver, it will interrupt the normal functioning of the liver making it unable to differentiate between self and non-self immunity and damage the cells of the liver. This process is known as autoimmune process and one of the main causes of Autoimmune Hepatitis.

Take Away:

Ayurveda works on the principle of balancing the Pitta dosha to limit the symptoms of Autoimmune Hepatitis. However, it is advisable to consult an Ayurvedic Liver specialist before going for any medicines.

Autoimmune Hepatitis - Knowing The Ayurvedic Approach!

Hepatitis Prevention and Protection Tips

Viral Hepatitis can invade the body and attack the liver systems. It has five different types, Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. While hepatitis can be treated, it is best to prevent it in the first place. 
Here are some simple, easy to follow tips that can prevent hepatitis from spreading.
1) Know how it spreads - Hepatitis can pass from individual to individual or through blood, body fluids, infected faeces.  Contaminated food and water can also cause hepatitis. Hepatitis B, C and D in particular spread through contact with infected blood.

2) Get Vaccinations - Immunization can help you protect yourself against Hepatitis A and B. Vaccinations for Hepatitis C, D or E aren’t available. But Hepatitis C can be cured with anti-viral medications. For Hepatitis D, the infected person needs to get Hepatitis B to survive.

3) Avoid Sharing Personal Items - Don’t share as it is a high-risk behaviour for Hepatitis. Be sure that needles for body piercings, acupuncture and tattooing are safe and disposable to avoid the risk of contamination.

4) Avoid Sharing Grooming Items- If you are living with someone who has or is at risk of Hepatitis, make sure that you avoid sharing grooming items as undetectable quantities of blood or other bodily fluids on razors and toothbrushes can lead to spread of virus.

5) Alcohol and Drugs - Hepatitis is a high risk among people who use excessive alcohol and over the counter medications. Liver inflammation and liver damage puts individual at risk of contracting Hepatitis and therefore, alcohol or prescription drugs and herbal supplements must be avoided and taken only after physician’s consultation.

6) When Travelling- Avoid eating raw fruits, vegetables and raw shellfish, avoid eating at unhygienic places, brush teeth and rinse mouth with clean water, avoid iced drinks or adding ice to the drinks while traveling to avoid contracting the condition. 

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over WhatsApp, Facebook and other media.


Hepatitis Prevention and Protection Guide: World Hepatitis Day

Don't wait any longer, manage your Hepatitis C Treatment online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Hepatitis C Treatment - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES