Signs and symptoms of Hepatitis
You may be surprised that a lot of persons even with the emergence of the spread of hepatitis are still oblivious to this viral infection. In Nigeria, about 15 million people are unaware that they are infected with hepatitis. Some still believe it to be an illness of the bourgeoisie in the society and so are immune. However, this is not the case.
Viral hepatitis is responsible for over 1.34 million deaths each year, more than HIV/AIDs, Malaria or Tuberculosis. It is also responsible for two of every three liver cancer deaths according to World Health Organization.
Different types of viral hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E are caused by a different type of virus. Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is always an acute, short-term disease, while Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), C (HCV), and D (HDV) are most likely to become ongoing and chronic. Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is usually acute and is considered particularly dangerous in pregnant women.
Unlike the infectious forms of hepatitis that are chronic and whose symptoms do not appear in the beginning until the damage affects liver function, like hepatitis B and C, the symptoms of the acute forms of hepatitis do appear quickly and they include: fatigue, flu-like symptoms; dark urine; pale stool; abdominal pain; loss of appetite; unexplained weight loss; yellow skin and eyes among others.
A lot of persons die slowly from chronic hepatitis because its symptoms are often too subtle to notice but with regular checkups, proper vaccination and timely treatment, we just could outsmart this silent killer.
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