Contents:
- Medical Video: Cancer Metastasis in the Liver - All Symptoms
- Contagious liver disease or not, depending on the cause
- The most common way of transmission of hepatitis virus
- Prevent transmission of viral hepatitis infection
Medical Video: Cancer Metastasis in the Liver - All Symptoms
There are various types of liver disease. But whatever type of liver disease you have, the liver damage process usually develops in the same way - from inflammation, scar tissue formation, cirrhosis, to liver failure. The next question is: Is liver disease contagious?
Read on this article to find out the answer.
Contagious liver disease or not, depending on the cause
Liver disease can be caused by various factors, ranging from heredity, unhealthy lifestyle, to viral infections.
There are two of the most common types of hereditary liver disease, namely hemochromatosis and alpha-1 antitrypsin. Meanwhile, fatty liver is a type of liver disease caused by unhealthy lifestyles, for example from the habit of drinking alcoholic beverages (alcoholic fatty liver) and eating fatty foods and lack of exercise (non-alcoholic fatty liver). The types of liver disease that are influenced by heredity and unhealthy lifestyles are certainly not contagious.
Another case with liver disease caused by viral hepatitis. Hepatitis is a contagious liver disease, because of its nature which is a viral infection. There are many types of viruses that can cause hepatitis, namely hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.
The most common way of transmission of hepatitis virus
However, the transmission of the hepatitis virus from one person to another is not as simple as through droplets of saliva that spray when sneezing or coughing is not closed as well as coughs and colds, or through ordinary touch.
The hepatitis virus is not found in sneezing, coughing, saliva, or breast milk. So, the method of transmission of the hepatitis virus is a little more complex and will also depend on the type of virus.
There are certain behaviors that increase your risk of communicable liver diseases such as viral hepatitis. For example:
- You live together and share personal items (for example, cutlery or shavers) with people who suffer from hepatitis.
- Eating food and beverages contaminated with fecal virus that is hepatitis (usually this is the pathway of transmission of hepatitis A and hepatitis E).
- Sharing drug needles with other people can expose you to infected blood.
- Direct contact with blood infected with the hepatitis virus, for example in a health institution such as a hospital officer or living with a hepatitis patient.
- Tattoos, body piercings, medical instruments, and exposure to other needles that are not sterile.
- Having sex with people infected with the hepatitis virus, both anal, oral and anal sex (is a common pathway for the spread of the hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C, and hepatitis D.
- Receiving blood transfusions from donors who have hepatitis viruses.
- Have HIV. If you are infected with HIV through the use of drug needles, receive contaminated blood transfusions, or engage in unprotected sexual activity, your risk of getting hepatitis will increase. However, exposure to body fluids is what makes you risky, not your HIV status.
- Pregnant women who suffer from hepatitis can transmit the infection to their children, but not through breast milk but through vaginal fluid or maternal blood during labor.
- Do not wash hands after changing diapers with feces contaminated with hepatitis virus.
Prevent transmission of viral hepatitis infection
Viral hepatitis is a type of infectious liver disease. However, viral hepatitis can be prevented by maintaining the best personal hygiene. Here's what you need to do to prevent transmission of the hepatitis virus:
- Get hepatitis vaccines, for hepatitis A and B
- Get used to washing hands; before eating, after leaving the toilet, before and after cleaning the baby's bottom, before and after preparing food ingredients for cooking, and so on.
- Be sure to wash fruits or vegetables before eating. Cook the meat until it's perfectly cooked.
- Avoid using drugs in any form
- Be careful when using needles
- Having safe sex
