Luanda – Early diagnosis and initiation of treatment of viral hepatitis can prevent the disease from progressing to severe conditions, so people should be aware of the symptoms, the hepatologist Mário Simeão, said Thursday.
Speaking to ANGOP, the specialist said the disease is already considered a public health problem, thus late diagnosis causes more advanced conditions, such as cirrhosis or liver cancer, hence the need to start treatment quickly to avoid its progression.
The hepatologist, who was speaking on the World Hepatitis Day marked on July 28, explained that hepatitis is the generic term that defines an infection or inflammation in the liver, an organ known as the body’s filter tasked with processing food, filtering the blood and fighting infections in the body.
Mario Semeaõ added that to prevent the disease one should avoid excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, drugs, and some types of medication. One can also get this disease through infection and obesity.
During his consultations, the doctor said, he sees 10 to 15 patients per day with hepatitis, from children to adults, which worries health authorities in the country.
The doctor explained that there are five types of hepatitis: A, B, C, D and E, type B has no cure, although there is a vaccine for that as part of the vaccination plan to prevent its development.
Hepatitis can also be caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver (hepatic steatosis), a situation in which a local and chronic inflammatory process begins in the organ, can evolve to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, which can progress to cirrhosis in 10, 20 or 30 years.
Source: Angola Press News Agency