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Posted June 03, 2019 by Vivek Bhalla, MD Family Medicine
Did you know the liver is the second largest organ of the entire body, after the skin? It’s also incredibly important: essential for food digestion, stores a large amount of your body’s energy and is a cleaning machine, eliminating toxins in the body. Hepatitis, usually caused by a type of virus, is an inflammation of the liver.
There are 5 types of Hepatitis, but Hepatitis A, B and C are the most common. Each type has different symptoms and treatment options. There are also vaccines available to prevent some forms of Hepatitis from occurring all together. Each strain can cause potentially life-threatening conditions like cirrhosis or liver cancer, but the viruses’ effects can vary greatly.
Another amazing thing about the liver is its ability to regenerate from as little as 25 percent of the original tissue. If you think you may have been exposed, you can take steps to limit further damage to this vital organ and maybe even repair some of it.
Individuals living with hepatitis should take additional steps to protect others from exposure. Talk to your doctor if you think you may have been exposed and get tested. Be sure to update any hepatitis vaccines when traveling to countries that may have an increased risk of contracting HAV or HEV.
Summa Health has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top-performing hospitals in the country for the specialty of gastroenterology. So whatever your symptoms, the Summa Health Digestive Program can help you navigate a diagnosis and provide you with a variety of treatment options. To schedule an appointment with a Summa physician to discuss treatment for your gastrointestinal condition, call 330.761.1111.