7 things you should know about hepatitis

MANILA, Philippines - July 28 marks World Hepatitis Day and several groups in the country recently joined forces to raise awareness about the disease.

The Hepatology Society of the Philippines, pharmaceutical company MSD, the Coalition on the Eradication of Viral Hepatitis in the Asia-Pacific, and the non-government organization UGAT Foundation have joined hands to emphasize the importance of the prevention and early detection of hepatitis.

The groups are likewise working towards removing the social stigma associated with the disease.

“Some people have the misconception that hepatitis afflicts only drug users or people who are promiscuous, which is absolutely untrue. The causes of infection of viral hepatitis are varied and may not even be the fault of the sufferer. Some patients do not know how they contracted the virus, and probably never will," said Dr. Jose Sollano, Jr., past president of HSP and Asia Pacific Association on the Study of the Liver (APASL),

“Ordinary people can get infected, even through everyday activities such as pedicures, as well as lifestyle activities such as tattooing. But because there is this stigma, those who are diagnosed are very hesitant to come out in the open and get treated. It is vital that we debunk these myths, and get the right messages across. Countless people’s lives depend on it,” he added.

Here are seven things you should know about the disease:

1. It is a silent killer. HSP president Dr. Diana Payawal said that infected people may carry the hepatitis virus unknowingly without symptoms until it causes serious and even fatal liver damage.

2. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, "a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infection."

3. Hepatitis can affect anyone. Former HSP and Asia Pacific Association on the Study of the Liver said that some people have the misconception that it only afflicts drug users or people who are promiscuous.

4. Risk factors for hepatitis include blood transfusions and organ transplants (particularly those done before 1992, when blood screenings became more rigorous), illegal drug use via needles, getting tattooed in non-licensed facilities, unprotected sex with multiple partners, long-term dialysis and being born to infected mothers.

5. Chronic Hepatitis C can lead to long-term health problems, including liver damage, liver failure, and liver cancer.

6. For every 100 people infected with the Hepatitis C virus, 75 to 85 will develop chronic infection, 60 to 70 will develop chronic liver disease, 5 to 20 will develop cirrhosis, and one to five will die or cirrhosis and liver cancer. This is according to the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

7. Hepatitis symptoms include fatigue, appetite loss, abdominal pain or swelling, dark urine, nausea, vomiting, and yellow skin or jaundice.