Hepatitis - How Different Types Can Be Managed?

Currently, there is no vaccine available to prevent hepatitis C infection. Antiviral drugs are usually prescribed to treat hepatitis C, once a person is infected with HCV (hepatitis C virus). Hepatitis A vaccine and hepatitis B vaccine are available for the prevention of hepatitis A and B, respectively.

Hepatitis A usually doesn t need any treatment, and the patient probably gets better in a few weeks. If the patient feels uncomfortable due to hepatitis A, then the doctor may recommend bed rest to get rid of the symptoms. There are vaccines available for the prevention of hepatitis A. It is recommended to start vaccinating a child against hepatitis A once he or she is aged between 12 and 18 months. It is a series of two vaccines and adults can also opt for a vaccination against hepatitis A infection.

Hepatitis A spreads easily through consumption of food or water contaminated by feces from a person infected with hepatitis A. An infected person who doesn t maintain hygiene after using the toilet and touches utensils or prepares food can spread the disease. Even if the food items are grown and harvested in clean conditions, it may flare-up the disease.

Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus can pass from a pregnant woman to her child. However, chances of passing hepatitis B virus from a mother to the child are much higher than that for hepatitis C. Only 5 percent mothers with HCV are likely to pass the virus to the child, but most babies get HBV at birth from an infected mother. However, there are vaccines available for HBV to protect the child from its infection. The chances of transmitting HAV from mother to the child during pregnancy are rare. It is estimated that just one in every 1000 women pass HAV to their child during pregnancy.