Today’s Diary | Hepatitis is preventable and treatable, but it is contagious

Liver specialist Marcos Girala urges consultation with specialists to treat hepatitis, as patients with chronic hepatitis B may develop cancer and require a transplant. Contagion can occur with even the simplest procedures, such as piercings and tattoos, when disposable or sterile disposable items are not used.

The hepatologist recalled that the types of hepatitis had nothing to do with each other, but they were classified as viruses because of their affinity for the liver.this Hepatitis A It spreads easily, entering through the mouth and being excreted through feces, so if children in day care centers or schools lack hygienic conditions, contagion is likely to occur. “Hepatitis A is a disease that does not stay, it does not stay in the body over time, a person can have this disease and it can become very serious and in some cases can lead to death, But it won’t last long.years in a person’s body“, explain.

this Hepatitis BThe virus also attacks the liver and its initial symptoms are very similar to hepatitis A, but it may not be curable and patients may live with the disease for a long time. However, it can also be contagious but not cause symptoms and be discovered almost randomly during routine laboratory tests. Some people have typical symptoms of hepatitis, including yellowing, burnt urine, light-colored stools, feeling weak, and loss of appetite, but recover. “Previously healthy adults will make a full recovery. 95% to 98% of patients will achieve clinical cure and disappear from the disease

”, he emphasized.

He added that some people develop such clinical symptoms but are not cured, while others never develop such clinical symptoms but are left with the disease, so they must undergo treatment because it has become Chronic hepatitis B (when the disease occurs). continued). more than six months). The condition persists over time if left untreated, suggesting that not all chronic patients are treated, as are those who have the disease but are inactive, but they may be contagious, although To a lesser extent.

Another difference is Hepatitis A, is type B that is transmitted sexually and vertically (from mother to child during childbirth). Likewise, for other issues related to blood, such as blood transfusions, organ transplants or the use of invasive medical devices or getting tattoos or piercings, which can disrupt the skin’s immune barrier, if the devices are not properly sterilized or are not disposable, disposable use.

Experts emphasize that there are preventive vaccines that can reduce the incidence of this disease, which are effective and very safe. He reported that in the case of active hepatitis, treatment must be done with medicines that are easy to take and have few side effects, in addition to medicines provided free of charge by the National Program on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (PRONASIDA), which is a Dependent on the organization of the organization. About the Ministry of Health. Likewise, sophisticated follow-up research is being conducted there and is freely available to everyone.

consult

Hepatitis B patients can go to the FCM-UNA Clinic Hospital, the National Hospital of Itaogua or the IPS where the hepatology specialist is located. In most cases, treatment does not cure the disease, but it can stop it, which would otherwise lead to poor liver function and a greater likelihood of developing liver cancer and needing a liver transplant. “Many people on the liver transplant waiting list are able to get off the list with good hepatitis B treatment.“, he said. He advised against going to a naturalist to treat what is commonly known as py’aruru or tiricia, which is similar to what is medically known as jaundice, which refers to a yellowish color of the skin and eyes.

Those who want to consult a hepatologist can sign up at the gastroenterology department window of FCM-UNA Hospital. Gastroenterologists who graduate from the FCM-UNA training program and are rehired hold the titles of gastroenterologist, hepatologist, and digestive endoscopist.

He reports that since 2012, they have trained residents who are first specialized in medicine or surgery. Subsequently, they went to the Department of Gastroenterology for three years of comprehensive training to become gastroenterologists, which included clinical parts such as the digestive tract, pancreas, liver, upper and lower endoscopy, and therapeutic endoscopy, so they were able to The perfect doctor. hepatitis. Since 2012, two experts have graduated from FCM-UNA every year.