Treatments For Hepatitis That Can Be Performed on Your Own
Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the liver. In most people, hepatitis is caused by a virus, but there are others who contract hepatitis from a substance they have consumed, such as contaminated food or water. In some people, hepatitis is caused by an autoimmune reaction when their immune system mistakenly attacks the liver.
In people with autoimmune hepatitis, certain immune cells mistakenly attack normal liver cells and cause them to malfunction. Over time, this leads to inflammation, damage to liver cells, liver failure, cirrhosis (severe scarring), infection, and sometimes death if left untreated.
Autoimmune hepatitis is not life-threatening, but it can be quite painful and cause other health problems, such as liver cancer. If left untreated, it can lead to liver cancer.
Many people get autoimmune hepatitis due to a weakened immune system, which means that the body's cells cannot fight off infections and other diseases. When this happens, the body's defenses cannot fight off the infection, leading to inflammation in the liver. The resulting inflammation, damage, or dysfunction causes the liver to become inflamed and overproduce the chemicals needed to heal it. When this happens, the immune system attacks the liver, and the immune cells that help fight infection attack the cells.
To cure hepatitis with autoimmunity, doctors first need to determine the underlying cause an attack by the immune system on the liver. After that, a drug is usually prescribed to fight the infection. Unfortunately, many medications that work to treat infection also cause inflammation in the liver, causing additional harm to the body. For example, azathioprine, atovaquone, lofepramine, quinacrine, or terbinafine can cause liver damage when used over a very long period of time. Therefore, it is important to avoid long-term use of any of these drugs for the treatment of hepatitis.
Some people with chronic hepatitis may benefit from certain types of medications that reduce inflammation in the liver. These include aspirin, tetracycline, colchicine, and diflucan
In cases where your immune system's ability to fight infection is not compromised, you can treat hepatitis with antifungal drugs such as tetracycline or erythromycin, or even immunosuppressants such as prednisone. If your immune system is weakened, you can get remission with vitamin D supplements. It can take several weeks before your body's defenses return to normal, so be sure to monitor your treatment. If your body does not respond well to antifungal medications, you may want to talk to your doctor about more aggressive treatments.
Since the immune system is responsible for fighting infection, it is important to prevent further liver damage from the virus. Therefore, you should avoid alcohol, smoking, certain prescription medications, or a healthy diet. It is also very important to drink plenty of water and keep your liver hydrated.
There are many other treatments available that are specifically designed to fight the virus naturally or with antibiotics. However, they may not be effective in all cases. It is very important to consult with your doctor to determine which treatment is best for you.
Natural medicines have long been recognized as very effective. Although the best cure for hepatitis is still unknown, some people with chronic hepatitis report results after using certain natural methods for more than ten years.
One of these methods involves certain dietary changes, such as eliminating caffeine and sugar from your diet and increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables you eat. Others recommend avoiding foods high in saturated fat and cutting back on processed foods like cookies and junk food.
There are also a number of medicinal herbs known to help control or even cure hepatitis. Often people with hepatitis can be cured with homeopathic remedies. If your doctor recommends one of these treatments, talk to your pharmacist to see if they help. The herbal formulas known to treat hepatitis have been found to be just as effective as some prescription drugs, if not better.