How to Prevent Hepatitis

In old Westerns, when a character accused another of "being yellow," it was an accusation of cowardice. In the real world, however, being yellow might be a sign you've developed a form of hepatitis -- a viral infection that attacks the liver, the important organ that aids digestion, filters the blood, and performs a host of other body processes. In this article, we will discuss hepatitis A and E, hepatitis B and D, and hepatitis C. Here's a preview:

  • Preventing Hepatitis A and EHepatitis A and hepatitis E are short-term infections that go away without treatment. Once you've had one of these infections, you cannot be infected again. Hepatitis A and E infections often have no symptoms. The viruses that cause Hepatitis A and E are found in the feces of an infected person and are often spread through poor hygiene.
  • Preventing Hepatitis B and DThe viruses that cause hepatitis B and D are spread by contact with infected blood and certain other body fluids. Like other hepatitis infections, hepatitis B and D attack the liver and can sometimes cause serious long-term damage. Chronic hepatitis can put you at risk for other diseases, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. A hepatitis B vaccination can protect you from infection.
  • Preventing Hepatitis CHCV, the virus that causes hepatitis C, is primarily spread by blood-to-blood contact. Hepatitis C is the most dangerous form of viral hepatitis and is most likely to cause chronic infection -- 55 percent to 85 percent of those infected with HCV will end up with chronic hepatitis C. However, most people who are infected with hepatitis C show no sypmtoms and thus might not know they're infected.


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