What happens to our bodies when we get hepatitis?
What happens to our bodies when we have hepatitis?
We get hepatitis through fecal-oral or blood transmission. This includes:
● Unprotected sex
● Sharing saliva
● Consuming contaminated food or water
● Sharing needles
Cirrhosis, or liver scarring, happens when infected cells in the liver are killed by immune cells, or by damage from alcohol.
Usually, the Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)[2], enzymes involved in liver processes are mostly concentrated in the liver. There are low amounts of AST in the blood. When hepatocytes are damaged, ALT and AST leak into the bloodstream. Hence, large amounts of them in the blood is a marker of hepatitis in tests.
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We can contract the virus in different ways and at varying degrees because there are six different types of hepatitis viruses[3] [4].
● Hepatitis A (HAV)
Hepatitis A is spread through fecal-oral contact: dirty hands, dirty food, dirty water. Rarely does it get transmitted through blood contact and rarely does it lead to anything serious. Though it doesn’t lead to long term damage, you get nasty symptoms including fatigue, nausea, stomach pain, and jaundice for up to two months[5] [6] The best prevention is a vaccine.
● Hepatitis B (HBV)
Hepatitis B is contracted via the blood and body fluids. This includes childbirth, unprotected sex, sharing needles, exchanging saliva, or exposure to scrapes and cuts. In terms of clinical presentation, the range goes from mild with no symptoms to chronic hepatitis to liver failure and death.
● Hepatitis C (HCV)
Like Hepatitis B, HCV can also be contracted through blood and body fluids. Again, it includes childbirth, unprotected sex, sharing needles, exchanging saliva, or exposure to scrapes and cuts. Like Hepatitis B, it can also present itself as acute or chronic, but has milder symptoms initially. If you have alcoholic liver disease, you’re also likely to get HCV.
● Hepatitis D (HDV)
Hepatitis D is also transmitted the same way as Hepatitis B–blood and body fluid contact– and it can only occur in or after the presence of Hepatitis B. If a patient with Hepatitis B exhibited no symptoms and then contracted HDV, that person could suffer from liver failure.
● Hepatitis E (HEV)
Transmission of this virus takes the fecal–oral route. It is most commonly acquired through undercooked seafood or contaminated water. It does not cause long term damage, except in pregnant women where it can cause acute liver failure or fulminant hepatitis.
● Hepatitis G (HGV)
HGV is the newest strain and is still being studied. It is believed to be transmitted through blood. No clinical symptoms are displayed in infected persons.
Can you get liver cancer from hepatitis?
Liver cancer happens when liver cells develop mutations in their DNA and form a tumor. Chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) increases the likelihood that a person may develop liver cancer[7]. Hence, only the Hepatitis C (HCV) and B (HBV) variants are the ones linked to liver cancer.
How likely are you to get hepatitis or liver cancer?
Strong evidence gathered by the American Institute for Cancer Research[8] suggests that aflatoxins, alcoholic drinks, and body fatness increase the risk of liver cancer. Aflatoxins are produced by certain fungi found in cereals (grains), pulses (legumes), seeds, nuts, and some vegetables and fruits. Alcohol abuse can also cause irreversible liver scarring, which paves the way for hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common variant of liver cancer[9]. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), an umbrella term for conditions caused by a build-up of fat in the liver, can lead to more serious damage like cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)[10] [11].
How can we prevent ourselves from getting hepatitis or liver cancer?
Given all that’s said about hepatitis and liver cancer, a healthy lifestyle, vaccination, and extra caution are keys to prevention. Drinking more water and less alcohol will do wonders for our liver. Eating healthy meals that keep us in good shape and pack us with vitamins and minerals will also raise our immunity against diseases. Ensuring that what we put in our bodies are clean is also a top way to keep us from getting hepatitis and liver cancer.
[1] https://www.britannica.com/science/major-histocompatibility-complex
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/aspartate-aminotransferase
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eocRM7MhF68
[4]https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/liver-kidneys-and-urinary-system/hepatitis-a.html
[5] https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/index.htm
[6]https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/abc/index.htm#:~:text=Symptoms%20of%20hepatitis%20can%20include,%2C%20joint%20pain%2C%20and%20jaundice.
[7]https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/liver-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353659
[8] https://www.aicr.org/research/the-continuous-update-project/liver-cancer/
[9[ https://www.cinj.org/liver-cancer-excessive-alcohol-use-and-other-risks
[10] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31543467/
[11]https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/non-alcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/#:~:text=Non%2Dalcoholic%20fatty%20liver%20disease%20(NAFLD)%20is%20the%20term,cirrhosis%2C%20if%20it%20gets%20worse.
