Hepatitis is a swelling of the liver that can lead to other deadly diseases like fibrosis or liver cancer. Though the virus hepatitis is the common reason for this disease, there are other factors like infections, poisonous substances, and certain other conditions that can also be responsible.

Hepatitis can be of five types: A, B, C, D, and E.

1. Prevention measures
Different type of hepatitis spread in different ways, so it’s important to first understand the different types while learning about the prevention measures.

2. Know how it spreads
It is infectious, and it passes through blood or stool.

A person infected by type A and E can expel it through the stool. You will also be affected by either the type A or E if you consume contaminated food or water.

The types B, C, and D are spread mainly through infected blood. So, if you somehow come in contact with the blood of a person suffering from any of these types, you will be infected with either of it. Though sexual transmission is rare, still it is a path of exposure to type B.

3. Get immunization
Vaccines are available in different doses to prevent hepatitis A and B. However, for type C, D, and E, there are no vaccines available. Recently, medication for Type C has been invented, and thus it is curable. The safest part about type D is that it cannot grow without the support of type B. So if you have taken vaccines for type B, you are safe from type D also.

4. Take precaution during traveling
Since hepatitis spreads through contaminated water, it is safe to take precautions when traveling to areas that have a deficiency of water or have an unsafe supply of water. You should also avoid cut fruits, raw vegetables, or ice cubes in these areas. You can contract this disease even if you rinse your mouth with the contaminated water, so be careful and wash your hands regularly, or use a hand sanitizer.

5. Practice safe sex
Though it mostly spreads through contact with blood, certain types of hepatitis can also spread through sexual intercourse. So, it is better to have safe sex and use condoms. The risks are higher for a person whose sexual partner is suffering from this disease, or for people having sex with different partners.

6. Share personal items cautiously
Avoid sharing personal things like razors, hairbrush, toothbrush, as the chances of these being contaminated with an unnoticeable quantity of blood are high. If someone else comes in contact with it, he or she will also get infected if the other person is a bearer of hepatitis. Moreover, it is not advisable to share needles used for tattooing, or syringe, as even a drop of infected blood is enough to spread the disease.

It is always better to follow a healthy diet and take medications under doctor’s guidance because certain drugs, if not appropriately consumed, can affect the liver and can be the cause of hepatitis.