Hepatitis d virus signs, symptoms, treatments

Hepatitis D Virus-Fact File

Hepatitis D - Transmission

Hepatitis D virus spread through contact with semen or blood; transmitted most often through unprotected sexual intercourse or shared needles.

It is 100 times more infectious than AIDS

Hep D - At Highest Risk:

IV-drug users. Exists only as co-infection with Hep B, so a person can get Hep D only if previously infected with Hep B or exposed to someone who carries both virus.

Hep D - Symptoms

The symptoms of viral hepatitis are the same regardless of type: the earliest symptoms are nausea and vomiting. The nausea may me so severs, that an alcoholic may not like to have an alcoholic drink, and a confirmed smoker may refuse to smoke. Other symptoms include a mild fever, that doesn’t go away muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite and diarrhea, pain in the joints and upper abdomen. In acute hepatitis (the more serious stage of illness), the disease produces dark urine, pale faces, abdominal pain, yellowness in the whites of the eyes and then in the skin – the complex of symptoms known as “jaundice”.

 

One of the dreaded complications of viral hepatitis is hepatic coma, characterized by mental changes, disordered consciousness, and tremors, a peculiar mouth odor, raised levels of ammonia in the blood, and an abnormal electroencephalogram (ECG).

Hep D - Severity

May cause severe hepatitis symptoms in people previously infected with Hep B

Hep D - Treatment

Scientist have few effective treatments for chronic hepatitis. Corticosteroids are avoided by most  physicians because there is a danger of vomiting blood.
The most essential part of treatment is supplying high-carbohydrate foods such as bread, jam, wheat, biscuits, rice, vegetables and potatoes.

 

Fat may me stopped if the stools are pale white in color, which suggests obstructive jaundice. Otherwise it will help recovery if moderate (40-50G) fat is allowed.

Alcohol has a toxic effect on the liver, while powerful chemicals in contraceptive pills could damage the liver further in chronic hepatitis.

Hep D - Prevention

Use condoms during sexual intercourse. Avoid sharing needles, razors or toothbrushes.