Hepatitis occurs when your liver gets inflamed or swollen. The liver is one of the most important organs in your body. It’s about the size of a football and weighs around 3 pounds. It is located on the upper right side of your body, just below your ribs. Almost all the blood in your body goes through the liver.
The liver does many important jobs, such as:
- Storing nutrients
- Removing waste products and old cells from the blood
- Filtering and processing chemicals in food, alcohol, and medications
- Producing bile, which helps digest fats and get rid of waste
When the liver is inflamed or damaged, it can’t do these jobs well.
Hepatitis can be caused by drinking too much alcohol, certain toxins, some medications, and medical conditions. But often, hepatitis is caused by a virus.
There are different types of viral hepatitis, the most common being hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. People with hepatitis may feel fine and not know they are sick, but it can range from mild to very serious.
Many people in the U.S. get viral hepatitis every year. It’s a big health problem that kills thousands of Americans and can lead to liver cancer.
At Tanana Chiefs Conference, we want to help you understand liver health and how to prevent hepatitis. Knowing what causes hepatitis and how to protect yourself is important for your health and our community. Talk with your medical provider today about hepatitis and what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from this devasting condition.
Preventing Hepatitis
Hep A is spread when someone ingests the virus either through close contact with an infected person or by eating/drinking a contaminated food, hep B is spread through bodily fluids like blood and semen, and hep C is spread through blood.
The best way to prevent hep A and B is by getting vaccinated. This vaccine is given as a series of shots; once you have received the whole series, you are fully protected from these viruses.
There isn’t a vaccine for hep C. To prevent contracting this disease, avoid behaviors that spread it, such as sharing or reusing needles or other personal items that come in contact with blood.