ANO ANG HEPATITIS B? NAKAKAHAWA BA ANG HEPA? MABISANG GAMOT PANLABAN

Dr. Elvie  Razon-Gonzalez
is a Medical expert in the Philippines

Laganap ang hepatitis B virus (HBV) sa buong mundo. Tinatayang 400,000,000 na tao ang kasalukuyang mayroon nito at 75% ay naninirahan sa Asya. Sa Pilipinas, isa sa walong Filipino ay mayroong HBV.

Ayon sa ulat, apat sa isang daang OFW ang mayroong HBV. Sa aking karanasan bilang gastroenterologist, ang hepatitis B ay karaniwang sakit sa mga OFW.

Dahil ang HBV ay isang uri ng DNA virus, sinasabing 100x na mas nakahahawa ang HBV kaysa sa human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Ang virus na ito ay pumapasok sa atay kung saan ito ay nag-rereplicate bago lumabas sa dugo ng tao.

Sa kasalukuyan, ang HBV ang pangunahing dahilan ng pagkakaroon ng cirrhosis at kanser sa atay sa buong mundo. Ang kanser sa atay ay panlima naman sa nangungunang kanser sa buong mundo.

Sa Pilipinas, madalas makuha ang hepatitis B sa ina pagkapanganak o pagkabata. Maaari rin maipasa ang virus habang nakikipagtalik, blood transfusion, intravenous drug use. Ang virus ay matatagpuan din sa dugo, semen, saliva, vaginal mucus at luha. Ang mga grupong mataas ang tsansa magkaroon ng HBV ay ang mga sumusunod: anak ng mga inang may HBV, kasama sa bahay ng mga taong may HBV, mga taong gumagamit ng ipinagbabawal na gamot, mga pasyenteng sumasailalim ng dialysis, mga taong maraming naging katalik, mga nakabilanggo at mga taong may hepatitis C o HIV.

Ang mga karaniwang simtomas ng HBV ay pagkawala ng ganang kumain, panghihina, pakiramdam na nasusuka, aktuwal na pagsusuka at lagnat. Ang iba pang simtomas ay rashes o skin wheals, sakit sa muscle at tiyan. Maari rin mgkaroon ng paninilaw sa mata at kutis ngunit hindi ito madalas.

Kumonsulta agad sa isang gastroenterologist kung palagay mo ay meron kang HBV. Dagdag pa dito, mayroong bakunang maaaring ibigay ang iyong duktor upang makaiwas ka sa pagkakaroon nito. Ayon nga sa kataga, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Hepatitis B can be described as an infection caused by a virus that renders harm to the liver causing acute or long-term effects. Transmission of the virus is through blood or body fluid contact with an afflicted person.

ANO SANHI O DAHILAN NG HEPATITIS B? BAKIT MAYROON AKO HEPA B? 
The Hepatitis B virus is the causative agent of Hepatitis B. Coming in contact with the blood, bodily fluids or semen of an infected person increases your chance of getting Hepatitis B. The Hepatitis B virus targets the liver causing cirrhosis, failure, or cancer of the said organ and eventually, death.

ANO SENYALES O SINTOMAS NG HEPATITIS B? Signs and Symptoms
The incubation period for Hepatitis B infection ranges from one to four months. The signs and symptoms include abdominal pain, change in urine color to a dark one, fever, jaundice or the yellowing of the sclera of the eyes and the skin, pain at the joints, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and vomiting and fatigue. For some people, no manifestations yet appear in the early stage of the disease.

ANO PINAKA MABISANG GAMOT SA HEPATITIS B?
For the time being, there is no treatment yet for Hepatitis B. Management of the disease aims at the response to the symptoms like continuing comfort and maintaining adequate nutrition and preventing dehydration. For the Hepatitis B that progressed to liver cancer, surgery and chemotherapy provides prolonged life to the patients. Since 1982, a vaccine was developed to prevent Hepatitis B which is the strength in Hepatitis B prevention.

 

 

About the author

Dr. Elvie Razon-Gonzalez

Graduated BS Public Health (cum laude) at UP-Manila Finished Doctor of Medicine in 2005 Licensed Physician since 2006 Licensed Internist since 2010 Trained in Internal Medicine at UP-PGH Trained in Gastroenterology at UP-PGH Presently taking Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology at UP Manila
Profession: Internist
Philippine General Hospital
Office Address: Padre Faura St., Manila
Philippines , NCR , Manila

 

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