Hepatitis
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver due to the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the
organ. There are five different types of Hepatitis- A, B, C, D and E, each caused by a different virus.
Causes of Hepatitis A are: eating food and drinking water infected with a virus called HAV
Symptoms of Hepatitis A are: A short, mild, flu-like illness; nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea; loss of
appetite; weight loss; jaundice (yellow skin and whites of eyes, darker yellow urine and pale faeces);
itchy skin; abdominal pain.
Cures
of Hepatitis A are: There is no specific treatment for HAV and most people fight off the virus
naturally, returning to full health within a couple of months. The doctor will advise avoiding alcohol and
fatty foods as these can be hard for the liver to process and may exacerbate the inflammation. Patients
should get plenty of rest and eat a nutritious diet. They should also ensure they do not spread HAV by
washing their hands after using the toilet and before preparing food. Patients with more severe
symptoms may be monitored in hospital for a short period.
Causes of Hepatitis B are: Sharing drug needles (for illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine or legal drugs
like vitamins and steroids), having unprotected with an infected person, getting a tattoo or body
piercing with dirty (unsterile) 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 and An infected woman can give
hepatitis B to her baby at birth or through her breast milk.
Symptoms of Hepatitis B are: A short, mild, flu-like illness; nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea; loss of
appetite; weight loss; jaundice (yellow skin and whites of eyes, darker yellow urine and pale faeces);
itchy skin.
Cures of Hepatitis B are: In most countries a patient with a positive test result will be referred to a
specialist who will carry out further tests to determine the degree to which hepatitis B may be affecting
the liver, and what may be the best treatment options. In these tests a small sample of liver tissue may
need to be taken (a liver biopsy). Antiviral medication is given as treatment to those with chronic
symptoms to help prevent further liver damage. These medications may be injected or given in pill form.
Examples are Interferon Alpha, Lamivudine and Baraclude. Treatment usually lasts 6 months, during
which time the patient will be carefully monitored. Regardless of whether the infection is producing
symptoms or not, the patient will be advised to avoid alcohol, get plenty of rest and maintain a healthy
diet.
Causes of Hepatitis C are: is caused by the virus HCV. It is spread the same way as hepatitis B, through
contact with an infected person's blood, semen, or body fluid
Symptoms of Hepatitis C are: A short, mild, flu-like illness; nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea; loss of
appetite; weight loss; jaundice (yellow skin and whites of eyes, darker yellow urine and pale faeces);
itchy skin.
Cures
of Hepatitis C are: To determine the extent to which the liver has been affected by hepatitis C,
other tests may be carried out. These include liver function tests, which measure substances (specific
proteins and enzymes) in the patient’s blood, showing how effectively the liver is working. A liver biopsy
may also be carried out. A fine hollow needle is passed through the skin into the liver and a small sample
is taken. The sample is then examined under a microscope to gauge the amount of liver damage
(inflammation, scarring and cirrhosis).
Treatment combines the antiviral drugs interferon and ribavirin. Although treatment has improved in
recent years, the success rates vary depending on which genotype the patient has and how long they
have had hepatitis C.
Causes of Hepatitis D are: is 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.
Symptoms of Hepatitis D are: A short, mild, flu-like illness; nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea; loss of
appetite; weight loss; jaundice (yellow skin and whites of eyes, darker yellow urine and pale faeces);
itchy skin.
Cures
of Hepatitis D are: There are no specific medicines that can cure hepatitis D. Therefore,
treatment for acute hepatitis D is focused on dealing with any symptoms or complications that may
occur. This is known as supportive care. Even without specialized treatment for acute hepatitis D, most
people recover completely within a few months. There are no drugs that are approved to treat a chronic
hepatitis D infection. There is some indication that certain medicines used to treat hepatitis B may be
effective against hepatitis D. Among these medicines are alpha interferon and pegylated alpha
interferon.
Causes of Hepatitis E are: is caused by the virus HEV. You get hepatitis E by drinking water infected
with the virus.
Symptoms of Hepatitis E are: A short, mild, flu-like illness; nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea; loss of
appetite; weight loss; jaundice (yellow skin and whites of eyes, darker yellow urine and pale faeces);
itchhy skin.
Cures
of Hepatitis E are: Get enough calories, Get plenty of rest, Drink plenty of fluids, Avoid
medicines that can harm the liver, Avoid alcohol and Exercise regularly
Bird Flu
Bird flu is a subtype of the Influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal
species, especially birds.
Causes of bird flu are: H5N1 virus
Symptoms of Bird flu are: fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, conjunctivitis, and, in severe cases,
breathing problems and pneumonia that may be fatal
Cures of Bird flu are: Tamiflu is the main drug for the treatment of bird flu. Tamiflu can lessen the effects
of bird flu, speed up recovery.
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and
an obsessive fear of gaining weight.
Causes of Anorexia nervosa are: Body dissatisfaction, Strict dieting, Low self-esteem, Difficulty
expressing feelings, Perfectionism, Troubled family relationships and Family history of eating disorders
Symptoms of Anorexia nervosa are: Dramatic weight, Feeling fat, despite being underweight, Fixation
on body image, Harshly critical of appearance and Denial that you’re too thin
Cures of Anorexia nervosa are: Since anorexia involves both mind and body, a team approach to
treatment is often best. Those who may be involved in anorexia treatment include medical doctors,
psychologists, counselors, and dieticians. The participation and support of family members also makes a
big difference in treatment success. Having a team around you that you can trust and rely on will make
recovery easier.
Treating anorexia involves three steps:
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Getting back to a healthy weight
Starting to eat more food
Changing how you think about yourself and food
AIDs
AIDs are a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Causes of AIDS are: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Symptoms of AIDs are: fever, headache, Triedness, Nausea, Diarrhea, rapid weight loss
Cures of AIDS are: anti-HIV or anti-AIDS drugs
Swine Flu
Swine Flu is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs.
Causes of Swine Flu are: H1N1 virus
Symptoms of Swine Flu are: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue
Cures of Swine Flu are: Take antiviral medicines such as Tamiflu and Relenza to reduce the possibility of
the swine virus