Don’t be scared of Hepatitis, it’s curable, say medical experts

Bengaluru: The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) received notification of 2,90,000 cases of acute viral hepatitis in 2013. In Bengaluru, according to the Population Based Cancer Registries, 5.5 new cases per 1,00,000 people, have been diagnosed of liver cancer. According to BGS Hospitals which had conducted various screening programs across Karnataka, nearly 4/100 people were diagnosed with hepatitis B and 0.5% to 1% of the patient population were diagnosed with Hepatitis C.

‘‘Among the 500 hepatitis patients that the hospital is treating, we have found that people have these myths about hepatitis and many compare it with HIV and AIDS which is not true as now there are many good treatments available for the same,’’ says Dr Ravindra B.S., Consultant, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, BGS Global Hospitals who further says that the hospital had witnessed an increasing number of Hepatitis B and C cases in pregnant women who as a result asked for an abortion.

‘‘There is no need for pregnant women with hepatitis to go in for an abortion as it can be treated even in the sixth month and this treatment ensures that the virus will not be transmitted to the baby,’’ sums up Dr Ravindra. ‘‘Both Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C can present itself as acute viral hepatitis and this can lead to chronic liver diseases in the form of cirrhosis of the liver and Hepatocellular carcinoma which accounts for most liver cancers,’’ says Dr Amrutesh T.M., Associate Consultant, Gastroenterology & Hepatology Department, Sakra World Hospital.

Hepatitis can be acute (inflammation of the liver that lasts less than six months) or chronic (inflammation of the liver that lasts more than six months). ‘‘In acute Hepatitis the patient will be symptomatic, that is, the patient would witness specific symptoms of jaundice, fever, nausea, abdominal discomfort and hence the people are aware that they have acute hepatitis,’’ says Dr Amrutesh.

‘‘In chronic hepatitis most of the patients are not aware that they are carrying such a virus and often it is detected at a very late stage and because it is asymptomatic, in most cases it advances to the later stage. If patients with acute hepatitis don’t recover in six months it can progress to chronic hepatitis,” adds Dr Amrutesh. Nearly 90% of acute hepatitis cases recover fully and only 10% cases progress to the chronic stage. People can now detect Hepatitis with the help of a simple blood test.

‘‘During regular health check-ups people should also ensure that both Hepatitis B and C cytology testing are done,’’ sums up Dr Amrutesh.