Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Most commonly, it develops due to a viral infection or alcohol consumption, but it can also arise from toxins, medications, and certain medical conditions, including autoimmune diseases.
Caution! Medical Myths: All About Hepatitis
There are five main types of hepatitis: A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis B and C are the most common.
In this article, we cover and dispel 11 myths commonly associated with hepatitis. To clear up some of these misunderstandings, we enlisted the help of two experts.
One of them is Shelley Facente, Ph.D., a research fellow in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, Berkeley. The other is Dr. Lauren Nephew, gastroenterologist at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis.
1. All types of hepatitis are equally serious
Some types of hepatitis are self-limiting, which means they go away on their own. Others can cause liver cancer or permanent liver damage.
“The hepatitis viruses are actually very different,” Facente told us. She outlined the differences between hepatitis A, B, and C:
- “With hepatitis A, people often feel very sick for a short time, but it is very rare to experience serious complications or a long-term illness.
- Hepatitis B can be very serious when a person’s initial viral infection becomes chronic, but this only happens in 2-6% of adults, and some people never have symptoms during their initial infection (although the majority do).
- Hepatitis C often doesn’t cause symptoms at first, but around 60-80% of people with hepatitis C infection develop a chronic infection that can eventually lead to liver cancer, cirrhosis, and death if left untreated. “
“That’s why it’s important to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B and tested for hepatitis C at least once, even if you are feeling well,” explains Facente.
2. Hepatitis C is rare
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 325 million people have hepatitis B, C, or both.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say there were 115,900 acute hepatitis A, B, or C infections in the United States in 2019.
In 2016, the WHO estimated that 399,000 people died from hepatitis C worldwide.
Hepatitis B and C together are the most common causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer. They also cause most of the viral hepatitis-related deaths. Facente told Medical News Today that “since 2013, hepatitis C has been the number one killer in the world.
3. People with hepatitis C cannot breastfeed
“The hepatitis C virus [verbreitet] not through breast milk, “said Dr. Nephew. However, she added that people with cracked or bleeding nipples should temporarily stop breastfeeding until healing has occurred.
4. People can contract hepatitis from kissing and holding hands
Although this myth is widespread, it is still a myth. “The hepatitis C virus [verbreitet] when someone comes in contact with blood from someone who got the virus through common drug injection machines, non-sterile tattoo machines, childbirth [oder], rarely, has infected sex. “
5. People cannot have sex if they have hepatitis C.
It is certainly not true that people with hepatitis C cannot have sex. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.
“The hepatitis C virus [verbreitet] through contact with the blood of someone who has contracted the virus. Sexual activities that increase the risk of blood exposure (anal sex and sex during menstruation) are at high risk, ”explained Dr. Nephew.
“For monogamous couples,” she continued, “advises them [CDC] not for routine use of condoms to prevent transmission. The risk of transmission is higher in people infected with HIV and in people with multiple short-term sexual relationships
with partners who have the hepatitis C virus. Condoms should be used regularly under these conditions. “
6. All people with hepatitis have jaundice
“Jaundice is a sign of liver problems,” said Facente, “but not all hepatitis viruses cause liver problems immediately.”
“About half of the people living with hepatitis C have no symptoms at all until decades later the virus has damaged their liver so badly that jaundice or other symptoms appear.”
7. Hepatitis is genetic
There is a myth that hepatitis C is genetic and therefore can be passed on from generation to generation. That is not true. “Hepatitis C is a virus. It is neither genetic nor inherited from parents, ”said Dr. Nephew.
In rare cases, hepatitis can be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth. However, the likelihood of this occurring is around 2–8%.
8. There is a vaccine against all types of hepatitis
That is not true. There are currently vaccines for hepatitis A and B. Both, as Facente explains, “require multiple vaccinations to complete the series”.
There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C.
9. Hepatitis C cannot survive outside the human body
“In 2014, Yale University researchers found that hepatitis C could be a full 6 weeks after drying on a surface [blieb] and had enough infectivity to infect someone, ”said Facente.
“Before,” she continued, “people thought it could only live outside of the body for 4 days. Unfortunately it is a very heartfelt virus. “
10. People cannot get hepatitis C twice
This is also a myth. As Facente said, “Once someone has treated and cured hepatitis C, they can get infected again – antibodies from the original infection won’t protect you like a vaccine (if we had one).”
Dr. Nephew confirmed that “the one-time Hepatitis C virus does not provide immunity to re-infection with the virus. ”She added that people can re-infect“ after the virus has been cleared naturally or with medication ”.
It is therefore still important to take precautions against re-infection after the initial infection has subsided.
11. Medicines for hepatitis C have bad side effects
That is not true. Like Dr. Nephew stated, “Current treatments for hepatitis C virus typically include 8-12 weeks of oral tablet therapy. The healing rates are now over 90%. These new drugs have few side effects and are very well tolerated. “
summary
Hepatitis is a global problem. Understanding how it spreads and how to reduce transmission are the first steps to reducing its impact.