Understanding Liver Disease
A Widespread and Silent Health Crisis
Causes of more severe hepatitis B complications
Lifestyle and ignorance:
Unhealthy Diets:
High in fats, sugars, and processed foods.
Alcohol Consumption:
Excessive drinking damages liver cells
over time.
Sedentary Lifestyle:
Lack of exercise contributes to fat buildup in the liver.
Medications and Toxins:
Prolonged exposure to certain drugs or chemicals.
Obesity and Diabetes:
Major contributors to liver stress and fat accumulation.
Chronic fatigue
Digestive issues (bloating, nausea, indigestion)
Yellowish skin or eyes (jaundice)
Abdominal pain and swelling
Liver disease is a growing problem, with more people developing conditions like fatty liver, cirrhosis, and hepatitis due to poor diet, stress, and environmental factors. The liver is an organ with a strong ability to regenerate itself, but when it is continuously damaged by hepatitis B, liver cells will gradually be replaced by scar tissue, leading to cirrhosis. In severe cases, the disease can progress to liver cancer. Worryingly, hepatitis B often does not show obvious symptoms in the early stages, leaving many people with the disease unaware.
When the virus attacks strongly, symptoms such as prolonged fatigue, loss of appetite, jaundice, pain in the right abdomen and nausea may appear. However, in many cases, hepatitis B still silently destroys the liver without causing any obvious signs, causing patients to only discover the disease when it is in the late stages.
In the Philippines, hepatitis B is one of the most common liver diseases. According to statistics, a significant portion of the country's population is affected, mainly due to lack of vaccination control and limited access to healthcare in some areas. Raising public awareness and ensuring hepatitis B vaccination are important solutions to prevent the spread of the disease.