Hepatitis B Example

Hepatitis B Example Hepatitis B â€" Assignment Example > Hepatitis BHepatitis is the inflammation of the liver, resulting to swollen and tender liver (Everson and Weinberg, 2002). That is, there are many inflammatory chemicals being produced and released in the liver which damages the liver cells or hepatocytes. This disease can be diagnosed even of a mild degree through blood test and laboratory analysis on the level of liver enzymes. Elevation in the level of the liver enzymes will mean that there are some degree of liver inflammation occurring. Long-term alcohol intake, toxic chemicals, poisons, drugs or medicines, improper diet, fatty deposits in the liver, autoimmune diseases, non-viral infections like Q fever, and various viral infections including glandular fever and some diseases of the biliary system may cause non-infectious hepatitis. Infectious etiology includes viruses, which attack liver cells. Viral hepatitis includes hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, F and G (Cronin, 2005). Other viruses of both new and old varieties can also atta ck the liver such as Epstein Barr virus and the Cocksackie virus (Sandler et al. , 2002). Hepatitis B is caused by infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), (Cronin, 2005) noted that among the many forms of viral hepatitis, Hepatitis B is the most easily spread (contagious) form. Hepatitis B is also present world-wide with many people being the carriers. The virus is infective but there are no symptoms of the virus. There are an estimated of over 300 million carriers around the world. (Adefovir, 2006). Less then half of those with acute HBV infections are typically asymptomatic, they may be infected but have no symptoms. The symptoms of Hepatitis B infection is that after initial contact with the virus symptoms, take on average, around 60 to 90 days to develop (Cronin, 2005). Adults will develop symptoms that vary in severity from mild to severe. One of the early manifestations is low-grade fever accompanied with headache, nausea and vomiting, anorexia and fatigue. Skin rashes, joint pains, muscle aches, diarrhea and constipation may also occur. As the disease progresses, a constant discomfort on the right upper quadrant under the rib cage are felt as the liver becomes inflamed. The defining sign of hepatitis which is jaundice, usually presents after other symptoms begin to resolve (Cronin, 2005). There are two types of Hepatitis B infection: acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). (Cronin, 2005) stressed that an acute infection is self-limiting, or heals by itself without treatment. Some people are asymptomatic. Those who present symptoms of HBV infection recover fully after 4-8 weeks. An infected person is no longer contagious once the acute infection is over and it guarantees lifelong protection against future infection because of the antibodies developed against HBV. In a small percentage of people, the HBV continues to remain in the liver and blood for 6 months or more, leading to chronic HBV infection. These people are known as carriers and they can easily spread the virus as long as the condition lasts. Estimates suggest that 400 to 500 million people worldwide are HBV carriers (Adrienne M Buggs and Joseph K Lim, 2006). The morbidity and mortality rate in chronic hepatitis B is significantly high. The risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) is associated with chronic hepatitis B because it silently damages the liver as the years go by (Hoofnagle, 2002). (Adrienne M Buggs and Joseph K Lim, 2006) emphasized that an estimated 20% of the total deaths per year in the world accounts to viral hepatitis-induced liver disease.