🩸 Hepatitis A, B & C: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
⚕️ What is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver, usually caused by viruses. The most common types are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. All three affect the liver but differ in causes, transmission, severity, and treatment.
🅰️ Hepatitis A
-
Cause: Hepatitis A virus (HAV)
-
Spread: 🍽️ Contaminated food or water, poor hygiene, close contact with an infected person
-
Symptoms:
-
🤒 Fever
-
🤢 Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
-
🍽️ Loss of appetite
-
💛 Jaundice (yellow skin/eyes)
-
🟤 Dark urine
-
-
Treatment:
-
No specific cure, usually mild and clears in weeks/months
-
Rest, hydration, healthy diet
-
-
Prevention:
-
💉 Hepatitis A vaccine
-
🧼 Wash hands and maintain food hygiene
-
🅱️ Hepatitis B
-
Cause: Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
-
Spread: 💉 Blood and body fluids (sex, needles, childbirth, transfusions)
-
Symptoms:
-
😴 Fatigue
-
🤕 Joint pain
-
🤢 Nausea and abdominal pain
-
💛 Jaundice
-
🩸 Possible chronic infection leading to liver damage
-
-
Treatment:
-
Acute Hepatitis B: No cure, supportive care only
-
Chronic Hepatitis B: Antiviral medicines (tenofovir, entecavir), liver monitoring, possible transplant
-
-
Prevention:
-
💉 Hepatitis B vaccine (highly effective)
-
😷 Safe sex, avoid sharing needles, protect healthcare workers
-
🅲 Hepatitis C
-
Cause: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
-
Spread: 💉 Mainly through infected blood (needles, transfusions, unsafe medical procedures)
-
Symptoms:
-
Often silent at first (many don’t know they have it)
-
😴 Fatigue
-
💛 Jaundice (in some cases)
-
🩸 Long-term: cirrhosis, liver cancer
-
-
Treatment:
-
💊 Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) – can cure over 95% of cases
-
Regular liver check-ups
-
-
Prevention:
-
❌ No vaccine yet
-
🧑⚕️ Blood screening, avoid sharing needles, safe medical practices
-
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Hepatitis A 🅰️ | Hepatitis B 🅱️ | Hepatitis C 🅲 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spread by | Food & water 🍽️ | Blood & body fluids 💉 | Blood only 🩸 |
| Chronic infection | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (chronic possible) | ✅ Yes (common) |
| Vaccine available | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Treatment | Supportive only 🛌 | Antivirals, monitoring 💊 | Antivirals (cure) 💊 |
| Severity | Mild, short-term 🙂 | Can cause cirrhosis/cancer ⚠️ | Can cause cirrhosis/cancer ⚠️ |
🌟 Outlook
-
Hepatitis A: Usually mild, preventable with vaccine.
-
Hepatitis B: Can be chronic, but vaccine gives strong protection.
-
Hepatitis C: No vaccine yet, but treatment can cure most cases.
👉 The best defense is vaccination (for A & B), safe hygiene, safe sex, and avoiding risky blood exposure.