Alert issued on signals indicating severe liver dysfunction in medical setting

Preventing Fulminant Hepatitis: Essential Lifestyle Measures

Fulminant hepatitis is a severe and potentially life-threatening liver condition that can impair the liver's detoxification, metabolic, protein synthesis, and bile production functions. It has a mortality rate as high as 80 percent if left untreated.

To prevent fulminant hepatitis and maintain a healthy liver, important lifestyle measures include:

Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption: Limit intake to no more than 4 drinks per day and 14 per week for men, and 3 drinks per day and 7 per week for women, as alcohol can cause alcoholic hepatitis and liver damage that may progress to fulminant hepatitis.
Preventing fatty liver disease (MAFLD): Maintain a normal weight through a healthy diet low in added sugars and regular exercise. Gradual weight loss and physical activity help prevent metabolic hepatitis, which can also lead to liver failure.
Avoiding smoking: Smoking negatively affects liver health and may exacerbate liver disease progression.
Avoiding consumption of pickled foods or Chinese herbal medicine from unreliable sources: Some unregulated herbal medicines and improperly prepared pickled foods may contain toxins harmful to the liver, increasing the risk of liver injury.
Vaccination and hygiene to prevent viral hepatitis: Vaccines are available for hepatitis A and B; practicing safe sex, safe needle use, hand hygiene, and ensuring clean water can reduce infection risk that could escalate into fulminant hepatitis.

People with hepatitis B or C are at higher risk of developing fulminant hepatitis. To manage this risk, they should seek routine check-ups, including an alpha-fetoprotein test every six months and an abdominal ultrasound every year. If a person with hepatitis B or C develops liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, they should have an abdominal ultrasound every six months.

Some common triggers for fulminant hepatitis include excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and eating pickled foods. Symptoms of fulminant hepatitis include dark urine, yellowing of the skin, loss of appetite, nausea, malaise, and fatigue.

In addition to these preventive strategies, it is recommended to:

If exposed to hepatitis A, prompt vaccination or immunoglobulin treatment can prevent disease onset.
Avoid sharing personal items, maintain strict personal hygiene, and avoid exposure to infections during recovery from hepatitis to prevent complications.
Rest and avoid strenuous activity during acute liver illness may support liver recovery and prevent worsening to fulminant hepatitis.

By combining these preventive strategies — moderation of alcohol, healthy weight management, avoiding harmful substances, vaccination, hygiene, and caution with herbal products — risks of fulminant hepatitis can be substantially reduced. It is essential for people with hepatitis B or C, as well as the general public, to be aware of these measures to protect liver health and prevent fulminant hepatitis.

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Alcoholic Liver Disease. https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/diseases/alcoholic-liver-disease.htm [2] World Health Organization. (2021). Viral Hepatitis. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/viral-hepatitis [3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Hepatitis A. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/index.htm [4] National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2021). Hepatitis B. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/liver-disease/hepatitis-b/prevention

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