Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A can be caught through contaminated water, rotten food or sewage, bad hygiene or sexual contact.

There is a vaccination for hepatitis A.

Symptoms

• Tiredness

• Aches and pains

• Fever

• Loss of appetite

• Vomiting and diarrhoea

• Urine may turn darker, faeces may turn lighter and skin may become yellower.

Symptoms appear 2-6 weeks after infection. They can be mild and the patient may not know they are infected.

Diagnosis

Hepatitis A is diagnosed through a blood test.

Treatment

There is no special treatment procedure for hepatitis A but symptoms can be relieved through medication. The patient should try to eat easily digested foods and drink normally. Alcohol should be avoided, as should strenuous physical activity.

In order to prevent infection, direct contact between people should be especially avoided. If you are dealing with people's bodily fluids, then remember to wash your hands thoroughly. And always use a condom.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B can be contracted through an infected person's bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, saliva and faeces. In Europe most infections occur through sexual contact and the use of dirty needles, syringes and shared drug equipment. The virus can also be contracted when getting a tattoo or piercing if the equipment used was not properly sterilised. It can also be spread through unregulated blood products.

There is a vaccination against hepatitis B. At Pro Centre Finland Helsinki and TampereHealth work you can get the necessary vaccinations free of charge. The Pro Centre Finland community nurse will assess your need for a vaccination.

Symptoms

Symptoms appear 1-6 months after infection.

The symptoms can be:

• Tiredness

• Aches and pains

• Fever

• Loss of appetite

• Vomiting and diarrhoea

• Urine may turn darker, faeces may turn lighter and skin may become yellower.
  
  

Diagnosis

Hepatitis B is diagnosed through a blood test.

Treatment

There is no special treatment procedure for hepatitis B but symptoms can be relieved through medication. The patient should try to eat easily digested foods and drink normally. Alcohol should be avoided, as should strenuous physical activity.

To minimise the risk of infection, avoid sharing needles, syringes and drug equipment. Avoid direct contact with people's bodily fluids. Always use a condom. If licking someone's anus (also known as rimming), use a protective barrier such as a dental dam or cling film. If you are getting a tattoo or a piercing, always make sure that the equipment has been sterilised.

Hepatitis can lead to an acute or chronic disease. Regular visits to the doctor can help you establish whether there may be damage to your liver and whether you need treatment. If this is the case then usually medication is used to prevent the liver from being damaged any further. Medication is not effective in all cases. For some people treatment is effective at first, but when the course of medication ends the condition weakens.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is spread through blood and other bodily fluids. Most infections come from contact with blood and through dirty needles, syringes and drug equipment. The virus can also spread when getting a tattoo or piercing through equipment that was not properly sterilised. Contracting the virus through sexual contact is rare but possible.

There is no vaccination against hepatitis C.

Symptoms

• Tiredness

• Aches and pains

• Fever

• Loss of appetite

• Vomiting and diarrhoea

• Urine may turn darker, faeces may turn lighter and skin may become yellower.

Diagnosis

Hepatitis C is diagnosed through a blood test.

Treatment

About 20 percent of people affected recover without treatment. The others remain carriers, which means that the liver remains infected. For some, the infection is mild and never develops into a serious disease. For others, the infection affects the liver and leads to liver cirrhosis or cancer.

Medication has been developed against hepatitis C which is effective in 60 percent of patients. The treatment does not suit everybody. For some, regular checks are enough so that liver function can be monitored. When prescribing medication, many factors are taken into account such as the patient's age, gender, the strain of the virus, length of infection, extent of damage to the liver, and whether cirrhosis has already begun to develop.

To minimise the risk of infection, avoid sharing needles, syringes and drug equipment.  Make sure that when getting a tattoo or a piercing the equipment has been properly sterilised.

Avoid direct contact with people's bodily fluids. If you end up dealing with blood, always use protective gloves and wash your hands carefully.

Always use a condom.

If you use intravenous drugs, use clean (unused) equipment.