Hepatitis is a serious illness that most commonly affects adults over the age of 40 years old. It can occur in teenagers and children too, but this is generally more rare. Because it stems from a highly-contagious virus, it is crucial that all people who are at risk for contracting it, or who might already have it, read the following information about what the types of hepatitis are, what symptoms it causes, and how it can be prevented.
Types of Hepatitis
There are three basic types of hepatitis. The first one is hepatitis A, which is the rarest form of the disease. It often stems from living in unsanitary conditions that cause the virus to get into a person's food or water supply. Luckily, this form of hepatitis resolves on its own within a matter of weeks if a person has a strong enough immune system. The next type of this disease is hepatitis B. It is spread through sexual contact or someone being exposed to another person's infected bodily fluids. Hepatitis B has to be treated with special medications that can only be prescribed by a doctor. Hepatitis C is different because it is a blood-borne virus. Most people get it from sharing needles with an infected person. However, pregnant women can also pass it on to their unborn babies because they share the
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This occurs because of the damage that the disease does to the liver. As the organ becomes inflamed, it cannot effectively remove waste from the body anymore. So the skin will start to take on a yellow hue as well. Then, other more disturbing symptoms will begin, such as vomiting, nausea, and a loss of appetite. The liver damage will also lead to discoloration of the stools, which can be identified by their sudden white or pale yellow appearance. If the disease is left to progress, it will attack other parts of the body, which leads to severe fatigue, swollen blood vessels, and even internal
Two of the most significant bloodborne pathogens are HBV (Hepatitis B Virus) and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Some of the other bloodborne pathogens include Hepatitis C, Hepatitis D, and Syphilis. These are less significant and not as life threatening as the two listed above.
HSV-1 is spread through saliva and direct contact, such as kissing, sharing eating utensils, sharing drinks or sharing personal items. Children often contract the virus from kissing their parents and coming in contact with other children. HSV-2 is spread through sexual intercourse. HSV must be transported through bodily fluids (saliva, pus, semen, vaginal fluid) to infect cells.3 The virus is transmitted through the mucosal linings of the body or through an open wound and has an incubation period of 2-12 days.4
There are not many ways for a person to contract valley fever. One way to contract valley fever is inhaling the fungus that causes it or Coccidioides immitis. It can also be contracted through cuts on the body. Valley fever can not be contracted from other people. The infection is not contagious. There are some factors that can cause certain people to have a greater risk of getting the infection though. For example certain races, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems and older aged people have a greater risk.
Hepatitis B is a DNA viral infection that causes damage and inflammation to the liver. It was first discovered in 1965 by Dr. Baruch Blumberg. The HBV virus is very contagious and is even thought to be the most serious form of viral hepatitis and the most common viral infection on Earth. “HBV is 100 times more infectious than HIV.” (Green, 2002, pg. 7) The virus can survive for about one week outside the body on a dry surface. According to Green (2002, pg. 7), “One in twenty Americans has been infected with the virus at some point in their lives.” Between the ages of 15-39 is when 75% of new HBV infections occur, according to Green (2002, pg.8).
The signs and symptoms of blood borne pathogens vary based on the type of disease it is and the ability of a person’s immune system to fight it off. In most cases hepatitis B does not need to be treated and the body can fight it off on its own. However a long-term infection can develop in some people that can cause liver damage. There is a vaccination available to prevent acquiring the disease. The signs and symptoms for hepatitis C are usually mild. It can take two weeks to six months after contact before signs begin to show, or there may not be any symptoms at all. Hepatitis C typically becomes is a long-term infection and after many years will cause liver ...
A person infected with Hepatitis A will take weeks to months to recover. During recover an infected person will receive supportive care and therapy. A patient should remain on bed rest and receive well balanced nutrition. Patient should be restricted from school and or work until fever is reduced and jaundice diminishes. If patient is vomiting and or has diarrhea, they can be treated with antiemetic medications. Also, an adequate water intake is necessary. An infected person should avoid alcohol and limit consumption of drugs that are damaging to the liver, such as acetaminophen. Hospitalization is rare during the treatment of Hepatitis A. (Matheney, 2012; Gilroy,
During this time, the most serious symptoms occur. The classic trio of Yellow Fever is Jaundice—yellowing of the skin due to liver failure, black vomit—named because of the presence of blood within the vomit produces a dark black color, and protein in urine which occurs due to kidney malfunction (“Yellow Fever—Timeline”). Hemorrhaging of the internal organs may also occur and lead to large amounts of bleeding. Although only a small number of patients develop symptoms this severe, jaundice (especially if coupled with the other symptoms) is an accurate indicator of death; the fatality rate of Yellow Fever patients with jaundice is 20-50%. The intoxication phase will likely last 3-9 days, and if the patient lives, they will recover after a short period without any lasting complications from their bout with Yellow Fever. Also, after having yellow fever, one will receive full, lifetime immunity to future infection from the disease (“Yellow Fever” Gale
1. Outline the causes, incidence and risk factors of the identified disease and how it can impact on the patient and family (450 words)
Hepatitis B is only passed through bodily fluids or the sharing of needles. The four most common ways of transmisison is through sexual contact, sharing of needles, accidental needle pricks, or mother to child.
Autoimmune hepatitis may develop after you’re infected with the measles, herpes simplex or Epstein-Barr virus. The disease is also linked to hepatitis A, B or C infection. Evidence suggests that a predisposition to autoimmune hepatitis may run in families. People who already have an autoimmune disease, such as celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis or hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), may be more likely to develop autoimmune
Viruses can be transmitted in many ways. Being in contact with an infected person will most likely transfer the virus. One can also obtain the virus through swallowing, inhaling, and unsafe sex. Poor hygiene and eating habits usually increase the risk of catching a viral infection. Contracting a viral infection is followed by adverse s...
Hepatitis C is one of the deadly disease in the world. Hepatitis C is caused by Hepatitis C virus that affects
The purpose of the paper is to critique and analyze the research surrounding hepatitis experiments conducted at Willowbrook State School. More specifically, it will analyze the ethical concerns that have come to raise many questions over time about the experiments done. Between the years 1956, spanning approximately, 15 years until 1971, mentally handicapped children residing at the state school would be the subjects of an experiment in which they were intentionally infection with hepatitis (Frankenburg, 2017). The man who would conduct this study was Dr. Saul Krugman. Initially, Dr. Krugman was brought on to help rid the facility of the disease, which was spreading through the residents, due to the already crowded and unsanitary conditions