- NEW!
by Anonymous on March 8th, 2007
The other answer is not correct. Here is the accurate information:
There are FIVE types of hepatitis: A, B, C, D, and E, each caused by a different hepatitis virus.
Hepatitis A: Caused by eating food and drinking water infected with a virus called HAV. It can also be caused by anal-oral contact during sex. While it can cause swelling and inflammation in the liver, it doesn't lead to chronic, or life long, disease. Almost everyone who gets hepatitis A has a full recovery. This is the easiest on your body.
Hepatitis B: Caused by the virus HBV. It is spread by contact with an infected person's blood, semen, or other body fluid. And, it is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). You can get hepatitis B by:
- Having unprotected sex (not using a condom) with an infected person.
- Sharing drug needles (for illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine or legal drugs like vitamins and steroids).
- Getting a tattoo or body piercing with dirty ((not sterilized)) needles and tools that were used on someone else.
- Getting pricked with a needle that has infected blood on it (health care workers can get hepatitis B this way).
- Sharing a toothbrush, razor, or other personal items with an infected person.
- An infected woman can give hepatitis B to her baby at birth or through her breast milk.
- Through a bite from another person.
- With hepatitis B, the liver also swells. (hepatamegaly). Hepatitis B can be a serious infection that can cause liver damage, which may result in cancer. Some people are not able to get rid of the virus, which makes the infection chronic, or life long. Blood banks test all donated blood for hepatitis B, greatly reducing the risk for getting the virus from blood transfusions or blood products.
**As an aside, my father died from this form a bad blood transfusion!**
Hepatitis C: Caused by the virus CV. It is spread the same way as hepatitis B, through contact with an infected person's blood, semen, or body fluid. Like hepatitis B, hepatitis C causes swelling of the liver and can cause liver damage that can lead to cancer. Most people who have hepatitis C develop a chronic infection. This may lead to a scarring of the liver, called **cirrhosis.** Blood banks test all donated blood for hepatitis C, greatly reducing the risk for getting the virus from blood transfusions or blood products. Naomi Judd has this form of Hepatitis.
Hepatitis D: Caused by the virus HDV. **You can only get hepatitis D if you are already infected with hepatitis B.** It is spread through contact with infected blood, dirty needles that have HDV on them, and unprotected sex (not using a condom) with a person infected with HDV. Hepatitis D causes swelling of the liver.
Hepatitis E: Caused by the virus HEV. You get hepatitis E by drinking water infected with the virus. This type of hepatitis doesn't often occur in the U.S. This is why it is so important to get vaccinations before traveling to countries where this disease is very common.
It causes swelling of the liver, but no long-term damage. It can also be spread through oral-anal contact.
All in all they are all bad news, but if you have to get one, A is the kind you would hope to get I suppose.
There are vaccinations for this that healthcare workers take. If you want to know alot more on the subject this is just one of many good sites:
http://www.noah-health.org/en/kidver/liver/diseases/hepatitis/what/atog/
by fishnets on March 8th, 2007
Hepat = liver
itis = inflammation
There is more than one kind of hepatitis. A - G I believe, some are caused from ingestion of contaminated fecal matter, others intravenous drug use, sex. There are only vaccinations for forms A & B (as far as I know)
But no, you don't get hep from not wiping thoroughly.
by Brian I on March 8th, 2007
All forms of Hepatitis are viral infections. You cannot catch an infection from yourself no matter what you are thinking you may not have wiped thoroughly enough.
by PeachStatePam on August 18th, 2007
There is Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E and G. Check out http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/ for info as well as http://www.info.gov.hk/hepatitis/leaflet/bil_03/indexe.htm
what is the treatment or cure for hepatitis B?
by cristyn on November 27th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
I have hep C. I use a condom with my girlfriend during vaginal sex, but she gives me head without one. She decided to swallow. Will she be alright?
by Unluckyluciano on October 22nd, 2008
| 1 person likes this
How does igg cause hepatitis b
by Anonymous on April 22nd, 2009
| 1 person likes this
Do you know anyone with hepatitis C?
by TERRYTUKER on August 18th, 2008
| 1 person likes this
What can I expect from Hep C treatment?
by JohnSdjkva on August 13th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
You're reading What causes hepatitis? Lack of wiping thoroughly, or does it have to be contracted from someone else?
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Comments
Woah either you type alot, or life copying and pasting, with no url. I agree its accurate, unlike the other one, points+.
by Anonymous on March 8th, 2007
I know the subject very well since my father died of it and I also do some copy and paste, but I know most of it and other medical things myself. Depends on how much time I have whether I get any off the net or not. This is ONE disease people need to know the accurate facts about!!
by Anonymous on March 8th, 2007
I agree. It's better posting the real stuff, than an opinion.
by Anonymous on March 8th, 2007
thorough and highly informative. AB needs more questions and answers like tis.
by LynfromNM on March 8th, 2007
Awesome answer......
by Junk Yard Dog on March 8th, 2007
Thanks. I wish my father had known all about it before he took "non-family" blood. He only needed ONE unit and we could have given it to him. Instead he got it from the hospital and it gave him his terminal Hepatitis B.
by Anonymous on March 8th, 2007
Is it likely for something like this to happen now? Are they testing the blood more thoroughly?
by LynfromNM on March 8th, 2007
Yes. He got his in 1974 when AIDS was not even known, and they did just minor testing for any hepatitis. After 1982, when AIDS became a scare here, they started screening it for all the known forms of hepatitis then. As time has progressed, they are now screening it about 90% efficiently. I could still have caught "non A- non B" hepatitis, but have been tested. I had to have 3 units last year and I was abit worried, but now they check many more things. It was just very, very cold going in, and I was cold anyhow with 8 blankets! Took 7 hours, from about 12 midnight til 8am as I recall. But it saved me, which I suppose was a blessing.
by Anonymous on March 8th, 2007
Uh yeah I'd say so. At least we are showing some progress with testing.
by LynfromNM on March 8th, 2007
In the year 2007, they could do better. But money goes to other places. It is somewhat political and has to do with budgets in each city and state. Very unfair and dangerous, as so many things are, due to political budgeting.
by Anonymous on March 8th, 2007