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Make a Difference: Vaccinate, Immunize, Protect Vaccination: isn’t that only for kids? But in a country where hepatitis is a major public health problem, not getting vaccinated may be a risk too high to take.
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our liver is the second largest organ in the body. It lies in the right side of your abdomen, right underneath your diaphragm. Part of it is hidden behind your ribs. It is a vital organ, and there is no way one can survive without it. Why? Because it is one of those few organs who have several functions. It detoxifies the blood. It produces important proteins. Plus it produces enzymes that are necessary for digestion. Hepatitis is when your liver becomes inflamed. If the inflammation persists for just a few days or weeks, the condition is called acute hepatitis. If it persists beyond 6 months, the condition becomes chronic hepatitis.
A Slice of Orange is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes Voltz Olea, MD
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The hepatitis alphabet The most common cause of hepatitis are the viruses hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Of these five, the most common in the Philippines are hepatitis A and B. There is a deep stigma towards patients with hepatitis—and while this may not be correct, it is easy to understand why this is so. Both hepatitis A and B, as well as the other viral hepatitis, are contagious— and both diseases are considered public health problems.
100 times more frequently than typhoid fever or cholera (people just don’t know that they have it).
Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is transmitted through contaminated food and water. This makes it very easy to transmit. A person with hepatitis A may transfer the virus to food and water, that another person may take in together with the virus. Because of its highly infective nature, it has gained the nickname, “infectious jaundice.” In fact, it is acquired
Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is usually a worse problem than hepatitis A. It is usually a chronic disease, and eventually leads to cirrhosis, liver failure, and even liver cancer. Hepatitis B infections result in 500,000 to 1,200,000 deaths per year worldwide. Moreover, it is endemic (occurs frequently) in Southeast Asian countries like
So what’s the problem with hepatitis A if many people don’t feel anything? The problem is that it worsens in some cases. On the average, people who get infected with hepatitis A can miss 30 days of work. What’s worse, it can lead to 3 to 5 deaths for every 1,000 people infected.
the Philippines. More than 10% of adult Filipinos are infected. Hepatitis B is not transmitted through contaminated food and water. Instead, it is spread through the exchange of blood or body fluids. This means it can also be transmitted through tattooing (through the tattoo needle), sexual contact, or even from mother to child via breastfeeding. Its transmission is similar to that of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) that causes AIDS. But it is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. HERE’S A MORE SHOCKING FACT:
in about half of cases, the source of infection cannot be determined.
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The yellow killer
The vaccine should be given in the muscle of the upper arm and be given in two doses for the best protection. The initial dose of the vaccine should be followed up by a booster six to twelve months later.
Hepatitis A vaccine protects against the virus in more than 95% of cases and provides protection from the virus for at least ten years. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the following people should be vaccinated:
Hepatitis B vaccine is a vaccine is given as a course of three injections with the second injection at least one month after the first dose and the third injection given six months after the first dose.
All children over one year of age People whose sexual activity puts them at risk People with chronic liver disease People who are being treated with clotting factor concentrates People working within close proximity to the virus (that includes practically the entire Philippines since hepatitis A is endemic) And people who are living in communities where an outbreak is present.
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All is not lost. Both hepatitis A and B can be prevented through the simple measure of vaccination. Not only will this keep you from getting sick, but it will also prevent other people from getting sick through you.
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In countries like the Philippines with high rates of hepatitis B infection, vaccination can help prevent the transmission from one person to another. Hepatitis B prevention is also one way of liver cancer prevention. Make a Difference: Vaccinate, Immunize, Protect.
Both acute and chronic hepatitis can be mild. Most of the time, people usually do not feel a thing. You might have it already and still not know about it. Sometimes, people with acute hepatitis feel muscle and joint aches, fever, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, headache and abdominal discomfort. Others get the classic sign of jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin). If the acute hepatitis turns chronic, the disease can progress, leading to worsening jaundice, ascites (fluid inside the abdominal cavity), weight loss, easy bruising and bleeding tendencies. Eventually, the long-term damage scars the liver, and this condition is called cirrhosis. Hepatitis is also a leading cause of liver cancer.
A slice of trivia How is infectious jaundice transmitted from person to person? Freshen up on your researching skills, e-mail us the answer at orange@ activelink-consult.com and win a prize! From those with the correct answer, 40 people will be randomly chosen to receive gift packs from
GlaxoSmithKline. We’ll include the answer in the next issue of A Slice of Orange.
viral disease of the eye can be prevented through proper hand washing?
Answer to last issue’s question:
Sore eyes, or viral conjunctivitis, are caused by a virus that usually reaches the eyes if you touch your eyes and your hands have
Viruses can be transferred from one person to another through the hands. Which
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some of the viruses that cause it. Fortunately, proper hand washing easily removes viral particles.
The Orange wants to he ar from you! Dying to ask us your health related questio ns? Itching to share your pe rsonal health tips? Want to sugg est topics for future issues? Feel free to contac t us. You can e-m ail our team at orange@activ elink-consult.c om.