Introduction
The word "hepatitis" means 'an inflammation of the liver,' but the word is most often used to refer to a specific disease rather than a general condition. The hepatitis viruses are not the only means of causing this condition. There are more than twenty other viruses known to cause liver dysfunction, but these tend to infect other organs of the body more seriously than the liver. Other causes of hepatitis can include bacterial and fungal infections, TB (tuberculosis), use of toxic drugs and chemicals, poisons, and alcohol, as well as vascular and immune system diseases. Liver damage does not occur as a direct result of a virus itself, but comes as a result of faulty killer-T cell action. For some reason, the killer-T's become overzealous, and the immune response simply refuses to turn itself off, wearing down the body.
According to ancient records, the knowledge of viral hepatitis is over 5,000 years old. Despite this, the first human hepatitis virus was not isolated until 1969, when it was given the name of Hepatitis B. The isolation of the virus came as the result of a study done at the Willowbrook State School for Mentally Retarded Children in Long Island, NY. The filthy living conditions infected virtually all of the residents and made a prime location for such a study. By 1973, Hepatitis A was identified and, more recently, the C, D, E, and G strains. What makes these viruses so serious in nature is their natural drive to cause liver damage.
The liver is the largest internal organ, weighing between three and four pounds in the average adult. It serves a vital function in the body. Some of these duties include filtering out all manner of toxins, dead cells, fats, hormones, and bilirubin (a byproduct from the breakdown of old red blood cells). When the liver becomes inflammed or enlarged for any number of reasons, it cannot filter out the harmful substances that bombard it every day, causing "hazardous wastes" to accumulate throughout the body. This poisoning is magnified because it prevents the absorption of vital nutrients necessary to strengthen the immune system and other body organs. The liver not only purifies the blood and processes nutrients, it performs more than 500 chemical functions that allow the body to work properly. Some of these functions include the following: manufacturing proteins; storing certain vitamins and sugars, iron, and other minerals; regulating the transport of fat stores, controlling the production and excretion of cholesterol; regulating blood clotting and bile (necessary for proper digestion of fats); metabolizing alcohol and other drugs; maintaining hormonal balances; forming fetal blood; protecting the body from infection by producing immune factors; removing bacteria from the bloodstream; and, most importantly of all, regenerating itself.
The effect of the various hepatitis viruses on the liver is the same as it is with alcohol, drugs, or other toxins. The liver begins to scar. When this becomes severe enough, blood flow is hampered. This condition is known as cirrhosis. When the liver fails, so does the rest of the body. The kidneys, colon, bile duct, lungs, and mucus membranes begin to accumulate poisons. Blood begins to back up into other organs. The essential functions of the liver become more and more difficult to perform until it fails altogether in its efforts, and then a transplant is required.
Often, when one hepatitis virus is contracted, another will soon follow. Therefore, it is vital that, during the time of liver dysfunction, as much rest be given to this organ as possible. Some ways of doing this include avoiding as many toxins as possible, especially caffeinated beverages or foods, limiting medications and other drugs including over-the-counter pain killers, and avoiding processed foods (they contain chemicals). Some herbal preparations are known to stimulate the liver and also should be avoided. It is best to eat frequent, small, but highly nutritious meals during the weeks of illness to prevent further strain on the liver.
Hepatitis viruses belong to a group of viruses called Picornaviruses, which are among the oldest and most diverse, known to have more than 200 serotypes and resembling the polio virus in structure. The Picornaviruses include the enteroviruses (polio, coxsackie A and B, echovirus etc.), the rhinoviruses (responsible for the common cold), cardiovirus (affects the heart), aphthovirus (the foot and mouth disease), hepatatovirus (Hepatitis A), Drosophila C virus, and cricket paralysis virus. To date, there are 6 different kinds of viral hepatitis viruses - A,B,C,D,E, and G. Each is caused by a different virus with five causing the hepatitis condition and one (G) lives in the blood without causing any apparent illness.
General symptoms of viral hepatitis include the following: extreme tiredness and general malaise, slight fever, nausea, poor appetitie, changes in taste perception, pain or pressure below the right ribs, aching muscles and joints, headaches, and skin rash. Later, jaundice will appear. This involves the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, as well as dark-colored urine and light colored stools. By this time, a person will generally be on the road to recovery, but the tiredness may last for several weeks longer. In the cases of chronic hepatitis, many patients have no other symptoms than tiredness, with an increased need for sleep. There may also be further joint and muscle aching, plus periodic pain or pressure below the right ribs (the area of the liver).
Travellers are advised to obtain hepatitis gamma globulin injections, especially if travelling to such areas as Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, including The Caribbean. Their rate of effectiveness, however, is rarely longer than three to five months.
