Hepatitis Q and A

"Liver" and "hepatitis" What is the difference?
A: The "liver" is a liver disease (liver disease) is known, referred to, all the liver diseases are of a liver disease. Liver damage and should not exert a normal function when the liver is sick, that is, "liver disease", referred to as "liver." Common in Taiwan, when we saw a liver disease patients, perhaps it can be classified in the following three types of common liver disease in three categories: (1) hepatitis, (b) patients with liver cirrhosis or liver cirrhosis , and (c) Liver Cancer, as well as some less common liver disease. "Hepatitis" is a lot of liver disease in one category, which includes different reasons have caused all kinds of hepatitis. .


Why is the "liver" is called Taiwan's "national disease"?
A: Taiwan's chronic liver disease is mainly due to B and C caused by hepatitis. Taiwan-wide population, about 3,000,000 (15%) people who are hepatitis B carriers (including symptoms and have no symptoms), in addition to about 400,000 (2%) were chronic hepatitis C patients. Taiwan each year from chronic liver disease (chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis patients) and the death of about 4,000 people, ranking the top ten causes of death in the sixth place, cancer is the Home of the first ten causes of death, of which each year from liver ( cell) carcinoma of the death of about 4,000 people, representing those who died from cancer the first, can be seen for liver disease are the people in Taiwan a major threat to life, so the "liver" is called the "National Disease" also not be overstated.


Liver disease in Taiwan, what are the reasons?
A: The main reason for liver disease in Taiwan are "hepatitis virus", including A, B, C, D hepatitis B virus, hepatitis B and C viruses are the main reasons for chronic hepatitis, while alcohol and drugs, chemical substances is also the causes of hepatitis. Common in Taiwan, when we saw a liver disease patients, perhaps it can be classified in the following three types of common liver disease in three categories: (1) hepatitis, (b) patients with liver cirrhosis or liver cirrhosis , and (c) Liver Cancer. In fact, this three types of liver disease are each other, "has brought relations". In Taiwan the most common type of viral hepatitis B as an example, the initial patient's condition are acute hepatitis, acute hepatitis when there is no cure, it turned into chronic hepatitis, and then after a period of time, about ten years to a few years, the disease also on the period to cirrhosis, while a few more years to ten years, has finally become part of the patients had liver cancer. However, It all boils down to a series of patients because patients are infected with the B-liver caused by viruses, that is, the causes are due to hepatitis B virus infection. And therefore can be said that apart from some rare diseases, the majority of liver diseases are caused by the will of the etiology of hepatitis caused. So long as we give rise to the causes of hepatitis, and its evolution to understand the circumstances, we will be able to Taiwan perhaps the picture of liver disease, will be understanding.


What is hepatitis C virus?
A: The "virus" is a smaller than bacterial pathogens. "Bacteria" the size of the "micron, μm" (one millionth of a meter) to express, and the "virus" the size of the title of "nanometer (nm), nm (nonometer)" (1 of a billionth of a meter) to express, viruses, bacteria the size of only one thousandth. Virus should not use the traditional optical microscope to see, can be seen is a very small virus pathogens, and therefore necessary to enlarge the use of electron microscope to be able to see several千万倍. In the face of the earth has thousands of species of the virus exist, which have several particularly enjoy in the survival of liver cells is called "hepatic chemokine virus", because they make so sick liver cells, also known as "hepatitis C virus." Now we already know has hepatitis virus A, B, C, D, E and G six.


The Taiwan region of hepatitis A popular situation?
Answer: to three or four decades ago, the Taiwan region due to poor sanitation, so the vast majority of people already infected with the child when the hepatitis A. The most over the past two decades due to improved sanitation, the western plain area in Taiwan, Republic of China 68 young people born after the vast majority are not infected with hepatitis A, and now only down to region, due to sanitation and personal hygiene had not improved, so living in these areas, residents remained at the previous high rate of infection, but the government has since the start of 86 in the implementation of preventive measures in these areas.


Hepatitis B infection in Taiwan are what circumstances? Taiwan's population in the number of people who have once been infected with hepatitis B? The number of hepatitis B carriers?
A: The very serious. The past, people over the age of forty have more than 90 percent have been infected with hepatitis B, including adults, about 15 ~ 20% (about three million people) of people are carriers, but since the Government of the Republic of China 73 launched a nationwide hepatitis B vaccination policy, the new generation of carrier rate has been substantially reduced to 1.5%.


Taiwan's population in the number of people who are chronic hepatitis C patients?
A: Second-year-old rarely following hepatitis C infection. Second-year-old after the infected person increases with age, in the adult population of about 1 ~ 2% are chronic hepatitis C patients.


What is hepatitis D? Infection in Taiwan, how?
Answer: D are due to infection of hepatitis D virus hepatitis caused by hepatitis. Hepatitis D virus is called a "defective virus" virus, that is to say, such a virus can not survive alone, but must rely on other called "helper virus" together, the proliferation can be caused by infection. Hepatitis D virus that must be resolved by hepatitis B virus surface antigen, as its shell in order to survive, it must be consistent with hepatitis D hepatitis B, and that is to say, no there will not be hepatitis B hepatitis D . Taiwan asymptomatic hepatitis B virus carriers, some 3.2 percent of the carriers with hepatitis D co-infection. In the B-type chronic active hepatitis cases has this ratio can be as high as 20%.


When the liver have been aware of, they should go before the appropriate treatment?
A: The first public and private hospitals or clinics, it is necessary to find a liver specialist at the diagnosis and treatment, or directly to find specialist diagnosis and treatment of liver disease.


Hepatitis B is endemic during the period have problems?
Answer: B hepatitis throughout the year will be infected.


At the same time, a person may be infected with A-and B-type hepatitis it?
A: There are likely, in fact, some cases.


Whether Taiwan has the so-called "C-type hepatitis village"?
A: Taiwan region has a number of residents living in the Village of hepatitis C infection rate is much higher than the general population ratio (> 20% than the 1 ~ 2%), these villages is the so-called "C-type hepatitis village." According to the investigation of its mode of transmission and methods of use of non-injected with the hygiene.