Hepatitis vaccination
Inflammation of the liver can be caused by food, autoimmune processes or viruses. In the case of hepatitis viruses, there are 5 possible triggers that can cause different forms of hepatitis. A dangerous variant that is frequently found in Germany is hepatitis B.
The infection can be chronic and destroy the liver in the long term, resulting in liver cirrhosis. The Standing Vaccination Commission recommends a hepatitis B vaccination to every infant in Germany, which is administered in 4 vaccine doses from the second month of life as a dead vaccine. For journeys abroad, for example to the tropics, vaccination against hepatitis A, which is very rare in Germany and can be transmitted mainly via contaminated food, can still be given.
Avoidance of drugs that are harmful to the liver
Many drugs are broken down in the liver and excreted through the bile and digestive tract. Some drugs can damage the liver in the process. The extent of the damage depends on the dose and amount of the medication.
Most of the common medications can damage the liver in case of severe overdose, but in normal dosage it is not expected that a healthy liver will be damaged. In the case of a pre-existing liver disease, the doctor should be consulted regarding the effect on the liver before starting a new drug therapy. Numerous antibiotics, antidepressants, painkillers or hormones can damage the liver. However, even in all other drug classes, individual active ingredients can be dangerous if the liver is already damaged.
Summary
Jaundice is a non-painful yellowing of the skin, the leather or conjunctiva of the eyes and the mucous membranes. It occurs when the bilirubin content in the body rises to values above 2 mg/dl. The causes may be a disorder of a metabolic area upstream of the liver, e.g. increased destruction of blood components or a hyperbilirubinemia syndrome (prehepatic cause of jaundice).
A second possibility is the disturbed utilization of the accrued bilirubin in the liver by If the outflow of bile acid is hindered by a gallstone or a tumorous change, an increase in bilirubin is also caused. In this case one speaks of a posthepatic cause. Blood intolerance syndromes at birth or the inexplicable pregnancy icterus are rare forms of jaundice.
Jaundice is not an independent clinical picture, but rather a symptom. In most cases, the diagnosis of the gaze is sufficient and can then be confirmed by a blood test. After the diagnosis, the cause of the jaundice must be found quickly.
Blood tests can be used to find prehepatic causes of jaundice and ultrasound can be used to find intrahepatic and posthepatic causes. The treatment depends on the cause of jaundice. Prehepatic causes (causes before the liver), such as diseases of the blood system and hyperbilirubinemia are relatively difficult to treat.
Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) either heals by itself or must be treated with antiviral therapy. The treatment of a malignant tumor causing jaundice is also difficult. The diagnosis is made very late and the tumor is not diagnosed until it is too late.B.
of the bile duct or pancreas is already well advanced. Often, the only way to help is to insert a tube to ensure that the bile acid can flow out again. Regardless of the fact that even harmless diseases can cause jaundice, every case of jaundice must be clarified as soon as possible.
- Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Congested liver
- (intrahepatic causes) etc.
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