Hepatitis C is a silent killer

TODAY if you have health problems such as fever, pain in the right side of the body, weakness, lethargy or so, you should immediately consult a doctor.

This is because of the problems you may be infected with an unknown disease is there and there were times when it has reached a chronic stage.

As the disease hepatitis C, it is difficult to detect infection by the patient's own because it always strikes without bringing specific symptoms or prolonged.

The disease is also categorized as a silent killer because many patients do not know they are infected themselves until many years but there is a reach tens of years.

Based on statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), 60 percent to 70 percent of hepatitis C patients will suffer from chronic liver disease, while five percent to 20 percent will suffer from cirrhosis, while one per cent to five per cent will die from cirrhosis or liver cancer.

According to Consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist, Kelana Jaya Medical Centre, Dr. Jamal Malik Abdul Buhari, what a sad, most cases of hepatitis C are known only after the disease reaches a more chronic or even many patients believed to have been diagnosed with the virus far earlier.

He added that no less that only become aware of their bodies after the virus habitat health deteriorated due to liver failure or liver cancer growth.

"Because the disease is categorized as silent killer, you out there are encouraged to perform a blood test to detect the disease.

"This is due to hepatitis C through a blood test and can be detected early confirmation of the disease.

"And it should be noted these diseases affect people of any gender and age," he said when met recently.

He added that, even if a blood test can detect the presence of hepatitis C virus easily, but most people today refuse to do so.

Elaborating on the disease, said Dr.. Abdul Malik, it is not only due to infection can be transmitted even if the patients taking one drug, blood transfusion, alcohol consumption, unhealthy sexual habits as well as by injection such as body piercing, tattooing (tattoo) and drug injection.

Apart from that, Dr. Abdul Malik insisted they are at high risk for this disease are those who have excess weight, people with diabetes and hypertension patients.

Usually there are seven types of hepatitis viruses detected worldwide, the virus hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, F and G.

However, viruses that are commonly found are hepatitis A and E.

But according to Dr. Abdul Malik, the only hepatitis B and C, which can turn a possible chronic damage to the liver.

Meanwhile, according to Consultant Hepatology, University Malaya Medical Centre, Professor Dr. Rosmawati Mohamed, about 170 million people worldwide are infected with chronic hepatitis C and more than 350,000 are estimated to die each year from liver disease associated with hepatitis C virus

He further opportunity to cure hepatitis C patients with existing treatments, including the discovery of new drugs that are classified as a type of anti-viral drugs.

However Dr. Rosmawati advise patients who have recovered to avoid risky behaviors as a new hepatitis C virus can attack the same patient.

At the same time, besides always take care, early treatment of hepatitis C disease can also save lives.

.. source Utusan