Hepatitis B (viral hepatitis B) was once the first disease in China, we once had no way to take hepatitis B, some children were destined to be hepatitis B infected as soon as they were born, and a large number of fresh lives died of cirrhosis and primary liver cancer caused by hepatitis B.
It wasn't until the advent of the hepatitis B vaccine and mass vaccination in China that the tragedy was prevented from continuing. Between 1992 and 2016, immunizations against the hepatitis B vaccine put Chinese 50 million people out of the clutches of the hepatitis B virus.
However, throwing off the hat of a big country with hepatitis B does not mean that hepatitis B has been completely eliminated. At present, there are still about 74.6 million people infected with chronic hepatitis B virus on the mainland, of which about 28 million are chronic hepatitis B patients.
In daily physical examinations, from time to time, young people are found to have "liver problems" - infected with hepatitis B or carrying hepatitis B virus. Today, Xiaobian invited Wu Maosheng, chief physician of the Department of Infection of the Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, to talk about young people and hepatitis B.
There are three reasons why young people are infected with hepatitis B
High-risk sexual behavior is also one of them
"Doctor, I knew I had the hepatitis B vaccine when I was a child, so why did I get hepatitis B?" After 90 and 00, hepatitis B was found, and he was very puzzled.
Survey data now shows that less than 1% of young people under the age of 22 are carriers of hepatitis B virus, but more than 7% are over 22 years old.
"Hepatitis B, caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), is mainly transmitted through mother-to-child transmission, blood transmission, and sexual contact." Wu Maosheng introduced that hepatitis B virus carriers, acute and chronic hepatitis B patients, subclinical infections, hepatitis B cirrhosis and hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients are all infectious, of which chronic hepatitis B patients and hepatitis B virus carriers are the most dominant.
Today's young people are infected with hepatitis B mainly for three reasons.
Cause 1 Mother-to-child transmission
That is, hepatitis B comes from the womb. If you were already infected with hepatitis B when you were still in your mother's belly, then even if you were vaccinated against hepatitis B after birth, the effect would be limited.
Let's take a look at when hepatitis B vaccination was implemented:
Mainland hepatitis B vaccination was included in the immunization programme in 1992 and requires all newborns to receive one injection each in the month of birth, January and June. It is not excluded that some post-90s and post-00s have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B in accordance with the requirements, such as three injections, only two injections; children in rural areas, because of medical conditions, because there is no money, may not be vaccinated against hepatitis B at all.
It should be noted that since January 1, 2002, the state has only been free of charge against hepatitis B for all newborns.
Reason 2: High-risk cosmetic behaviors
Whether it is eyebrow tattoos, tattoos, nail art, ear piercings and other invasive skin beauty projects, or teeth washing, filling, dental implants, or foot bathing, massage, pedicure, foot shaving, if the instruments used are not disinfected, there are many people sharing, can let hepatitis B take advantage of the void, and inadvertently spread quietly, resulting in blood cross-infection.
Reason three: High-risk sexual behavior
The higher the hepatitis B virus content, the more contagious it is. The highest levels of hepatitis B virus are found in the blood, and other body fluids or secretions, such as semen and vaginal secretions, are also contagious. Although doctors emphasize that condoms are the best preventive measures every day, there are always people who do not obey and "snap" without wearing condoms.
Wu Maosheng pointed out that if you have unprotected (without wearing condoms) sexual contact with hepatitis B virus carriers and hepatitis B patients, if your skin and mucous membranes are damaged, you may be infected in minutes.
Don't think that the hepatitis B vaccine will give you peace of mind. After the injection of hepatitis B vaccine, the body produces anti-hepatitis B virus surface antibodies (anti-HBs), after a period of time, the amount of antibodies will slowly decrease, without examination, you do not know whether you have antibodies. At this time, you are equivalent to a naked state in front of the hepatitis B virus, and you may be infected at any time.
Interferon is preferred in young people for hepatitis B
After infection with hepatitis B virus, symptoms vary from person to person, and there may be no symptoms, but also symptoms such as loss of appetite, general weakness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, as well as extrahepatic manifestations such as rashes, arthralgias and arthritis.
In general, hepatitis B virus infection is more than 6 months old and it is easy to develop chronic hepatitis B. And long-term chronic hepatitis B, poorly controlled, easy to transform cirrhosis or liver cancer.
"The higher the amount of virus detected by hepatitis B DNA, the greater the risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer." Wu Maosheng said that antiviral treatment is the most fundamental treatment to deal with hepatitis B, and only by continuously inhibiting or removing the virus in hepatitis B patients will inflammation be controlled. Effective antiviral therapy can not only reduce the chance of hepatitis B deteriorating into cirrhosis and liver cancer, but also help patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and reduce the occurrence of complications.
Unfortunately, of the more than 20 million chronic hepatitis B patients in the mainland, only about 3 million hepatitis B patients have received antiviral treatment.
At present, antiviral treatment of hepatitis B relies on two major "weapons", one is oral nucleosides and nucleotide drugs, and the other is interferon injection therapy. The former directly inhibits the replication of viral DNA, while the latter improves immune function through immunomodulation while fighting the virus.
Wu Maosheng stressed that hepatitis B patients should not use drugs indiscriminately, do not trust folk remedies and test prescriptions, and should go to the specialties of regular hospitals for standardized treatment. For young people who have not given birth, interferon is preferred for hepatitis B antiviral therapy, and patients with a family history of cirrhosis and liver cancer are also the preferred interferon.
In patients with hepatitis B over 50 years of age, it is recommended to choose oral nucleosides and nucleotide drugs, because interferons play a role in regulating immune function, and the older the age, the worse the effect of interferon therapy. Nucleosides and nucleotide drugs need to be taken for a long time, and seeing the virus turn negative and stopping the drug without authorization is a mistake that many patients will make, and the consequences will lead to aggravation of the disease, or sudden deterioration of the condition.
In addition to antivirals, liver protection drugs are popular among patients with hepatitis. There are probably hundreds of liver protection drugs in the mainland, but in fact, these drugs do not cure the symptoms, so don't expect liver protection drugs to cure hepatitis B.
Got hepatitis B has "three do not do"
The liver is a silent organ, and patients with very poor liver function may not feel it, so regular check-ups are emphasized. "Recently, several patients have received treatment, liver function is very normal, and it is a pity that they have been diagnosed with liver cancer."
Wu Maosheng reminded that hepatitis B patients should be checked regularly, and every 3-6 months, blood routine, liver function, hepatitis B two-and-a-half, hepatitis B DNA, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), liver ultrasound. If there is a family history of liver cancer and cirrhosis, more detailed examinations should be done.
In life, hepatitis B patients should pay attention to liver nourishment and keep in mind the "three don'ts":
Don't stay up late.
Patients with liver disease need adequate sleep and regular work and rest. Frequent staying up late will affect the liver's self-repair, and lack of sleep will lead to immunocompromise, which is worse for hepatitis B patients.
Don't Eat "Junk Food"
"Junk food" mainly refers to unhealthy foods, including fried and greasy foods, pickled products, soda frozen drinks, etc. It is characterized by being not easy to digest and contains harmful substances. The liver is a digestive and metabolic organ, and everything eaten into it must be treated by the liver, and junk food will increase the burden on the liver, which is harmful to the control of hepatitis B.
Do not drink alcohol
Studies have confirmed that alcohol can directly damage the liver, but also increase the synthesis of oxygen free radicals that are toxic to the liver, so that the process of liver fibrosis is accelerated. The relationship between hepatitis B virus and alcohol is like the relationship between fire and oil. Hepatitis B patients who have a drinking habit have a much higher chance of cirrhosis and liver cancer than those who do not drink alcohol.
Source: 39 Health Network
Edited by: Yeah Reviewer: Xiao Ran