Hepatitis B: Treatment & Medication

The disease Hepatitis B is a virus infection that affects your liver and digestion system. At times, it starts as a simple problem like disinterest in food and weakness, and the sufferer may not have even a single symptom of the disease, but with the passage of time, it turns out to be a critical illness, which in most cases can claim the life of the sufferer. But, under the supervision of an expert medical practitioner, one can easily come out from the epidemic of Hep B virus.

If you have been diagnosed with this bug, there is no need to worry about. There is available Hepatitis B treatment in India. The government has also established special cells in government owned hospitals to provide treatment for this decisive ailment. Following are the treatments and medication that a patient is procured with –

Antiviral Medicines – Usually, Hepatitis B virus approach a human body system in form of viral infection. When the immune system turns weak because of the viral, the symptoms of Hep B germinate. Epivir, Hepsera, telbivudine, etc. are the most prescribed Antiviral medicines for the patients of Hepatitis B.

Liver Transplant – Liver transplant is the only solution for the sufferers, who are in the last-stage of the disease, and whose liver has completely or partially has stopped working.

To be on the safer side, it is advisable to visit your family doctor, or your nearest hospital, whenever you do not feel well. It becomes paramount when you sense some irregularity in urine and stool, and acute pain in the abdominal parts of your body.

Successful Liver Transplantation in India

A liver transplant is an operation to remove a damaged or diseased liver and replace it with a healthy one.  Liver transplantation can be done with a part of a liver from a living donor or from a deceased donor. Although liver transplant is considered as the last and final option for patients with last stage of liver disease and with that hope Liver transplantation in India was developed as an efficient and established treatment for last stage liver disease. The first pediatric liver transplantation in India were performed in the beginning of the year 1998 and since then many centers of liver transplant have established for this successful programs it offers liver patients best hope for a second chance at life.

Liver transplant in India has become the boon of life if it is done for the right reason, by the right people and at the right time. With remarkable improvement in the advanced surgical techniques and with improved immunosuppressant more than 90 percent patient recovery and survival rate has become possible in most centers of liver transplant.

 A patient who has undergone a liver transplant can live a normal life in terms of activity, health, food and vigor with some basic precautions. Some anti rejection medicines and cyclic follow up with liver transplant team or hospital will continue to live healthy life.  Comparable to any other international liver transplant centre Liver transplant in India attracts patients from around the world for its successful and safe treatment.

Cadaveric Liver Transplantation in India

Human body is made up of many vital organs and good health is defined as the level of metabolic or functional efficiency of a living organism and its ability of to adapt and self-manage when facing physical, social or mental challenges. But for some reasons one of the prominent body organ of human body the liver can become gradually damaged as a result of infection, illness or alcohol.

This damage causes the liver to reach to a critical stage called as the scarred Liver failure which can also led very rapidly as a result of inflammation and death of liver tissue, Cadaveric liver transplantation is end stage option for this kind of liver patients.

Cadaveric liver transplantation is the replacement of a diseased liver with some or all of a healthy liver from another person. Cadaveric Liver transplantation can be successfully done with living persons liver or deceased person’s liver as declared brain dead but its organs are working. For successful cadaveric liver transplantation some tests, anti rejection medicines, finding a match, complication, and the follow-up with liver transplantation doctor’s team is required.

 The Cadaveric liver transplantation is a complex procedure and the Patient and family members are in a dilemma with many Pros and Cos. But both the donor and recipient grow recovery within few weeks under the doctor’s observation with medicines and precautions. 

Hepatitis B: Causes, Prevention and Cure

Hepatitis B refers to inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis virus. Those who are infected with hepatitis B in childhood usually have high chances of carrying it for lifetime. Most of the time, it eventually develops into cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.

Most of the patients do not show up any symptoms until the disease reaches at an advanced stage. Patients infected with hepatitis B usually have acute hepatitis with flu-like symptoms and jaundice followed by gradual progress into severe cirrhosis and liver failure.Stats reveal that more than 350 million individuals have chronic hepatitis B around world, out of approx one million die each year.

a)    Hepatitis B is majorly spread by unsafe sex. You should use latex condoms to save yourself as well as others from getting infected.

b)    Everyone should get vaccinated for hepatitis B

c)    One must not share anything having blood on it such  as a toothbrush or razor

d)    A person having Hepatitis B must not donate his blood, body organs, other tissues or sperm

e)    You should also keep your sore and cuts covered

f)    New born babies also get infected with HBV during birth, but it can be prevented,

g)    All babies should be given first dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth. One should also ask doctor about the next dosage and provides it as per the schedule. Ask your doctor when your baby should get the next dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine.

h)    If the mother is having hepatitis B, it is essential to get a blood test of the child after vaccination to ensure that he or she is protected

i)     It is essential to know that Hepatitis B is not contagious diseases and it dies not spread by sneezing or coughing, kissing or hugging, breastfeeding, food or water, sharing eating utensils or working together in a same office etc.

In India, more than 40 million people have chronic hepatitis B. All infected people may not show up symptoms or may not even be aware of that they are actually carrying the virus.However, only 10-20% off patients will develop chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, the remaining 80-90% will remain 'carriers'.

One must visit a liver specialist regularly for Hepatitis B treatment in India and get their liver profile at examined regular intervals or as advised. One must consult hepatologist before taking any new medicines. Those having liver damage from Hepatitis B; they should get tested for Hepatitis A and C and vaccinated against it.

Significance and Effectiveness of Liver Transplantation for Liver Cancer

Liver transplant for cancer is an effective treatment for liver cancer patients whose tumours cannot be removed surgically. In this surgical procedure, the cancerous liver is removed and replaced with a healthy liver by the means of transplantation.

Doctors usually follow a standard set of rules to determine if a person is an ideal candidate for liver transplantation. There are limitations on the size of tumour to be treated through transplantation. If there is single tumor, it should be less than 5 cm. If there are multiple tumours, there can be maximum three and largest must be 3 cm or less. Besides, above all, liver cancer must not have spread outside the liver for effective transplantation.

With advancement in surgical procedures, there has been increase in the liver transplantation success rate in the recent years. Doctors have also become more experienced in identifying patients with liver cancer who would likely to live better life after liver transplant for cancer.

There are always risks associated with any organ transplantation surgery. 

Such risks may include:

·        a) Transplanted organ rejected by the body’s immune system

·         b)  Infection

·        c)  Liver cancer returning

·        d)  Reactions to the medications needed after the transplantation

·         e) Increased bleeding, difficulty clotting

·         f)  Reaction to aesthetic during surgery

Patient who undergo liver transplant have to take anti-rejection medications to refrain your body from rejecting new healthier liver. However, many times, these medications can also make you susceptible to severe infections. With advanced techniques and surgical procedures, now it is possible to liver healthier life after successful liver transplantation.

Emergency liver transplant- a life-saving treatment for acute liver failure

 When a liver is damaged to an extent that it fails to perform its normal functions then surgeons and doctors suggests for liver transplantation wherein the diseased liver is replaced with healthy ones. Though, liver failure can usually be managed by medication for a short while but transplantation is the only cure when it comes to long term treatment. As dialysis machine acts as a life-support treatment for kidney failure, there is no such mechanical device for liver that can replicate the functions of the liver.

 There are two main reasons that lead to liver failure; choric liver failure and acute liver failure. Chronic liver failure is one when the liver fails as a result of damage over many months or years. While in acute liver failure an extensive damage to the liver occurs over a short period of time. The main causes of chronic liver failure include alcoholic liver disease, Hepatitis C, Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, Hepatitis B, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, Biliary Atresia, Autoimmune Hepatitis, Liver Cancer etc. 

However, acute liver failure is less common then chronic liver failure. But that is acute liver failure only which necessitates emergency liver transplant and is also largely associated with the high mortality rate. The most common indications for liver transplantation include hepatitis C virus (30%) and alcoholic liver disease (18%). However, other indications are Idiopathic/autoimmune liver disease (12%), Primary biliary cirrhosis (10%), Primary sclerosing cholangitis (8%), Acute liver failure (7%), Hepatitis B virus (6%), Metabolic liver disease (eg, inborn errors of metabolism) (3%), Cancer (3%), and Other (3%).

Reliable & affordable Hepatitis C treatment available in India

Hepatitis is a contagious liver disease that in can be explained as inflammation of liver. Infectious diseases such as viral infections cause this inflammation. Though, hepatitis can also be caused by the exposure of alcohol, chemicals, certain medications, poisons and other toxins. Also, hepatitis is a name of a family of viral infections that affect the liver. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C are the most common types of hepatitis that may have similar symptoms but the mode of transmission of these three viruses can affect the liver differently.

Hepatitis C virus or HCV is a communicable liver disease that initiates from a mild illness lasting a few weeks and continuous to a serious, lifelong illness that attacks the liver. Primarily, HCV is spread by blood-to-blood contact of an infected person, poorly sterilized medical equipment, and transfusions. Besides, there are several other ways via which one might get infected with Hepatitis C like sharing razors, toothbrushes, through sexual transmission, tattooing or piercing, genetics connection etc. Hepatitis C can be either acute or chronic. HCV for a short period of time (say six months) but as per reports there are more people (approximately 75-85%) that are suffering with chronic stage of Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C virus infection can persist for a lifetime and can also cause crucial liver problems, including cirrhosis or liver cancer.

There are many health organizations, hospitals and health institutes that offer best ansd result-oriented Hepatitis C treatment in India. Transplant Liver India is one of such Delhi-based health center that has proven track record for successful treatment of Hepatitis C. People with acute hepatitis C infection get treated with medicine. If the blood tests and liver biopsy of a patient shows that an individual has a chronic infection but liver is not damaged then treatment is not required but treatment with medicine can fight the viral infection.