Chronic hepatitis - types, symptoms, treatment and much more

Hepatitis is a diffuse inflammation of the liver and this disease occurs for various reasons. Can manifest in a chronic or acute form. For example, chronic can occur with various poisoning( ethyl alcohol) or manifest against the background of acute viral hepatitis. In addition, it can be a consequence of chronic diseases of the abdominal cavity organs or arise as a reaction to a drug.

Symptoms of hepatitis

The most common symptoms of chronic hepatitis:

• general malaise;
• fatigue;
• sometimes nausea;
• rarely muscular pain;
• in some cases, anorexia;
• fever.

But, in most cases, the disease occurs without any visible clinical signs. The liver grows in size and the person can no longer eat fatty foods, since constant aching pain appears in the right hypochondrium. Therefore, with the slightest suspicion of hepatitis, it is necessary to undergo a complete liver examination. In addition, the chronic form requires more time and effort for treatment than acute.

The inflammatory process in the liver, which lasts more than six months, leads to chronic hepatitis. In addition, chronic form of hepatitis in some cases can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, and this significantly increases the risk of oncology.

Classification of hepatitis

To date, there are six main types of viral hepatitis, of which hepatitis A and E are not manifested in chronic form. The most severe form is C, which for years can not make itself felt. In many patients, the acute form of hepatitis C gradually turns into a chronic form.

There is also the so-called chronic cryptogenic hepatitis, an unknown etiology. It is accompanied by an inflammatory-destructive process in the liver and lasts for more than 6 months. In 15-20% of cases, the main cause of chronic cryptogenic hepatitis can not be determined. A peculiarity of its course is the propensity to progress with gradual transformation into cirrhosis of the liver, possibly even in primary liver cancer. The pathogenesis of the development of chronic cryptogenic hepatitis remains unclear, given the complete absence of identifying the factors of its development.

Diet for chronic hepatitis

Therapeutic diet with hepatitis includes a gentle liver regimen. The purpose of dietary nutrition is to reduce inflammatory, dystrophic and destructive changes in the diseased organ, as well as prevent the transition to cirrhosis of the liver, improve all liver functions and correct metabolic disturbances.

Nutrition for pancreatitis is based on diet number 5.Food should contain a sufficient number of proteins( 1.5-2, 3g), fats( 1.2-1.8g) and carbohydrates( 4-6g), based on one kilogram of body weight. In this case, valuable proteins of animal origin( kefir, milk, sour milk, cheese, lean beef, fish of low-fat varieties, egg white) are important.

Carbohydrates should be easily digestible: honey, sugar, jujube, jam).The body's need for fats should be filled with vegetable oils, such as sunflower, corn or olive oil, as well as butter.

A complete diet should be provided with Group B vitamins, bioflavonoids, ascorbic acid.

When hepatitis is usually limited to the use of salt( 6-8 gv day).Plus, in the diet should be a sufficient amount of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, cobalt and other minerals.

Limiting liquid is not recommended. Patients are recommended berry, fruit and vegetable juices, broth of dogrose, compotes. The diet is 5-6 times a day,

Patients are not allowed to consume: fats( lard, beef, goose or mutton), fatty meats( ducks, geese, pork, lamb) and fish( salmon), extractive substances( mushroom,fish and meat broths), foods high in cholesterol( fish oil, egg yolks, liver, brain, heart, kidneys), fried foods, canned food, smoked products, spicy seasonings( mustard, onion, garlic, pepper, vinegar), saltedfood, alcohol, cream cakes, ice cream and other drinks and cold dishes.

Treatment and therapy

Diagnosis of chronic hepatitis is a virological examination to determine the etiology of the disease. For the diagnosis of the chronic form, an appropriate biochemical blood test is performed, a liver biopsy, a study of the markers of the virus, the patient is assigned special laboratory tests, as well as various apparatus studies of the abdominal cavity organs. Chronic hepatitis of unclear etiology requires a more thorough examination to determine the cause.

The effectiveness of treatment depends on the correctness of the diagnosis. There is no single scheme for its treatment, it all depends on the stage and severity of the disease.

The average stage of chronic hepatitis is overcome somewhere in 3 months after the start of treatment. Several times a year, including the period of therapy and remission, control examinations are conducted. Then, in the next year or two, supportive complex therapy is prescribed.

The chronic appearance is difficult to cure, but possible. The guarantee of success is, of course, early diagnosis, as well as proper treatment, diet, strict adherence to all prescriptions of the doctor and regular visits to a medical institution for complete control and necessary correction of treatment.

Treatment of chronic viral hepatitis C

Chronic viral hepatitis C is a diffuse liver disease that lasts more than six months. The cause of its occurrence is the hepatitis C virus.

The aim of therapy with HCVG:

• eradication of the virus;
• improvement in the histological pattern of the liver;
• slowing the progression of the disease;
• reduced risk of HCC development;
• increase the living conditions associated with the state of health.

All patients with chronic hepatitis C require antiviral therapy. Especially treatment is recommended for patients at high risk of progression of this disease to cirrhosis of the liver. It has been established that the indication for carrying out etiopathogenetic therapy is severe or moderate necrotic inflammation and liver fibrosis at certain levels of HCV DNA in the blood. In some patients, risk factors and the effectiveness of the therapy are not fully revealed, and this requires additional laboratory studies.

How to cure chronic hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a viral disease of the liver. The causative agent is the hepatitis B virus from the family of hepadnaviruses.

Treatment of hepatitis B is symptomatic for alleviating the patient's condition, correcting the immune system, detoxification and antiviral. Patients with severe exacerbation need rest for several months. It is necessary to exclude any physical activity. It requires compliance with a therapeutic diet. Treatment is based on the use of long-term courses of therapy with interferons or nucleoside analogues.

Chronic persistent hepatitis: treatment of

Treatment depends on the stage of the disease. In the remission phase, usually no special treatment is required. It is required, first of all, adherence to diet and diet. The patient should limit physical overload, alcohol consumption. Food should be with high protein and normal carbohydrate levels, the number of animal fats should be minimal.

In the stage of relapse, hospitalization of a patient in a hospital with the observance of bed rest is required. Diet - table number 5. Detoxification therapy includes intravenous administration of physiological solutions of glucose, sodium chloride and gemodeza.

Chronic cryptogenic hepatitis: folk treatment

In folk medicine for the treatment of cryptogenic hepatitis apply:

• Cowberry infusion. 1 st. A spoonful of cranberries leaves 200-300 ml of boiling water. They are allowed to brew and take 2 tbsp.spoon 4 times a day.

• Watermelon juice, which is taken 5 times a day for 200 ml, and then eat 1 teaspoon of honey.

• Juice made from red beet, which is taken in 200 ml.twice a day.

• It is recommended to drink birch sap, at least 2 glasses a day.