Nirogam Hepatitis Kit

What is Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a condition of inflammation of the liver tissues. It can lead to a variety of symptoms like poor appetite, vomiting, fatigue, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, yellow coloration of eye whites and skin (jaundice) etc. Some people might experience all or some of these symptoms, while some might not show any symptoms at all. Hepatitis affects millions of people every year, making it a serious challenge for global medical practices.

Types of Hepatitis:

• Hepatitis A: Contagious form of the disease. Easily preventable through vaccines. Can be completely cured with medications.
• Hepatitis B: Commonly found. Passes through sexual contact or bodily fluids. May take significant time to be treated. 
• Hepatitis C: Has a high number of cases in India every year. May pass through exchange of bodily fluids and during pregnancy. Severe but treatable form of the infection.
• Hepatitis D: Rare type of Hepatitis. Usually found in people with Hepatitis B infection. Affects thousands of Indians every year. Requires long treatment. 
• Hepatitis E: Unthreatening type. Can be cured within days or months. Easily preventable with hygienic eating practices.
• Alcoholic Hepatitis: Typical to alcohol drinkers. May prove to be fatal for some patients. Needs immediate medical assistance.
• Autoimmune Hepatitis: Rarer but chronic disease. Has wide ranging effects on the body. Requires urgent medical intervention.

Symptoms and Causes of Hepatitis:

• Hepatitis A: One of the most common hepatitis causes is consumption of HAV-infected infected food or water. It usually does not turn into a chronic disease. The symptoms include weakness, fever, loss of appetite, yellow coloration of white of the eyes etc.
• Hepatitis B: This is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the virus HBV. It usually spreads through unprotected sexual intercourse, using syringes previously used by an infected person etc. The symptoms include joint pain, dark urine, belly pain, fever and few jaundice symptoms.
• Hepatitis C: This is caused by direct contact with blood of the infected person. The symptoms are similar to HBV in nearly 80% of the cases. Liver usually gets swelled up in this case, leading to cancer in not more than 20% cases. The symptoms include weight loss, loss of appetite, bleeding and bruising, etc. In addition, Hepatitis C symptoms in women can be as severe as spider veins, swollen legs and fluid retention in the stomach.
• Hepatitis D: Only a person who has previously been infected with HBV can get infected with HDV through contact with infected blood, unprotected sex or infected syringes. The symptoms are fatigue, nausea, dark stools,  sleep disturbances, changes in behavior, eating disorders etc. 
• Hepatitis E: Usually caused by consumption of infected drinking water. There is swelling of liver in this case also but usually there are no long term consequences of the same. There are no reports of a prolonged chronic infection with HEV. The symptoms are similar to those of Hepatitis A.
• Alcoholic Hepatitis: Caused by excess consumption of alcohol. Though, regular heavy drinkers might have alcoholic hepatitis; it’s possible for moderate drinkers to develop this too. The liver inflammation in this case is accompanied by jaundice, loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, weakness, low grade fever etc. 
• Autoimmune Hepatitis:  It occurs when the body’s immune system turns against the liver cells. The exact cause of this condition is not clear but it’s known to have been caused by genetic and environmental factors. Untreated autoimmune hepatitis might even lead to liver failure. Hepatitis symptoms here are similar to jaundice and Hepatitis A infections.

Natural ways of treatment of Hepatitis:

Although many medications are available for the treatment of Hepatitis, their side effects cannot go unnoticed. Which is why alternative treatment practices are gaining a strong reputation in the medical opinion. Here are some you can try at home:

• Diet: A wholesome diet with lots of grains and fibre can help to cure hepatitis. In addition, fruits and veggies should be included in the daily diet. Avoid heavy meat and spicy dishes.
• Massaging: Its effects may not be direct, but regular massages surely ease your treatment. They reinvigorate the body and relieve mental stress.
• Meditation: Like massages, meditation too induces muscular relaxation and helps to improve cognitive capabilities.
• Zinc consumption: Onset of hepatitis lowers zinc in the body. Hence it's beneficial to consume supplements of zinc.
• Yoga: It is known to have many benefits ranging from pain management to full body relaxation and muscle toning.

Diet for Hepatitis patients

Hepatitis patients’ should ideally include lots of fruits, vegetables and fibre in their diet (with few exceptions). Sticking to a plant based diet and avoiding non veg food should also help in many cases. Abstaining from alcohol is also of utmost importance.

Few items are best avoided such as:

• Junk food and fatty items
• Heavy pulses like White gram (chhole), Kidney beans (rajma) and soya
• Sugary beverages like, cold drinks, milkshakes, lassi, processed juices etc.
• Hard to digest veggies like, potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower and brinjals
• Strong flavoured fruits including, citrus fruits, berries, pineapple and papaya.
• Dairy products, especially paneer, can harm your liver.