Liver Disease Any Abnormal Processes that affect the liver

Symptoms OF LIVER DISEASE Fatigue Nausea Loss of appetite Swollen abdomen Itchy skin Jaundice

CAUSES Viruses such as Hepatitis A, B, C Too many fatty foods Drugs /Medication Alcohol

Hepatitis can be induced by these viruses, drugs, medication and alcohol. Hepatitis is Inflammation of the liver

How to Prevent Hepatitis A Gets into your body through your mouth How to Prevent Hepatitis A Wash your hands Be careful not to eat unwashed food Be careful not to drink unclean water Get vaccinated Canada is pretty good with washing food, but sometimes when we travel to countries like Asia or Mexico, the food and water is not so clean. Here in Canada, we have water treatment plants, so we don’t have to worry about unclean water here. That’s the reason we don’t get the hepatitis A shot here in Canada, unless we are planning on travelling to another country. But we need to be careful with what we eat and drink. We need to make sure we eat and drink clean food and water, because much of our food comes from different places, and we don’t’ know how clean it might be, or if it has chemicals on it. That is why we need to make sure our food is clean before we eat it. Know let’s go over how to protect yourself: Wash your hands; warm water and soap, wash your fingers and don’t forget your thumbs. You can ask how long they should wash for (60 seconds) and how they will know when they are done (sing ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle, Happy Birthday) Don’t eat unwashed food. Some might ask about washing everything but focus on fruits and vegetables and talk about the picture. Someone is washing the apple but would you wash an orange or a watermelon? Peel the orange – where is the virus? Pull apart orange and eat – where is virus? You have to watch it. Melons – knife can take virus through when you cut it so be safe and wash all your fruits and vegetables. Don’t drink unclean water – which isn’t a big issue in Canada thanks for our water treatment plants so the water from our taps is safe but if you travel to warmer places they tell you to drink bottled water because they can’t promise that there aren’t germs and viruses in the water. Get vaccinated. There is a vaccine for Hepatitis A which you aren’t getting but if you start to travel you can think about getting it.

Hepatitis B & C Used Needles Fighting Tattoos Body Piercings Gets inside your body through breaks in the skin (the virus lives in your blood) Used Needles Fighting Tattoos Body Piercings Hepatitis B and C are different. They are known as blood born pathogens. They live in your body fluids. They have to get into your body through breaks in the skin. When you break the skin you bleed and your blood is a body fluid. That means the virus attacks your liver but floats around in your blood. Talk about ways you can get breaks in the skin: Used needles – are you allowed to touch one you find? How do you deal with it? Fighting already gets you in trouble – now there is another reason not to and that is if you are fighting and you both get cut and one is sick both could end up sick. Tattoos and Body Piercings – put together and preface with a statement about not getting one for a long time but if they know someone with either there are safe ways to do it to stay safe. Also mention that we aren’t talking about pierced ears because the guns, earrings, etc are all disposable now.

Ways to Prevent Hepatitis B & C Don’t use needles that you’re not supposed to If you find a needle don’t touch it Don’t share razors or toothbrushes Be careful with tattoos and body piercings Get vaccinated I will say it again – wash your hands. Clean your food Don’t touch needles you find laying around. We know that sometimes there are people who need to use needles. Ask the kids if they can think of any examples of why someone would need to use a needle. Explain that someone with diabetes would need to use needles. Diabetics need to test their blood sugar with needles and they might need to give themselves insulin with needles. But they have been taught how to get rid of their needles in a safe way so they don’t hurt anyone else. Also, some people carry epi-pens. These can be for if they have an allergy to peanuts or bees or anything else. Vaccines (they are either waiting or had some of their shots). There is a vaccine for hepatitis B which you are getting this year. Right now, there is no vaccine for Hepatitis C, which means we need to be careful to follow all these guidelines for preventing these diseases.

Chronic Hepatitis is ongoing injury to the cells of the liver with inflammation which lasts for longer than six months.

Liver cirrhosis The condition in which there is irreversible scarring of the liver. 

How to keep your Liver healthy Exercise Eat Healthy Foods and maintain a healthy body weight Take medications only prescribed by a doctor Get Vaccinated