Spring is for National Viral Hepatitis Awareness

As an update to the series of articles that ran last year here at A News Café, I would like to remind everyone of the importance of testing for chronic viral hepatitis. The CDC revised their testing and screening guidelines… Continue Reading

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Your Liver, Your Health: Part VIII – Testing … testing …

Here are a few final pieces of information about testing and treatment for Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HVC). Initially, HAV, HBV and HCV are tested for with a blood test that looks for antibodies. Remember your ABC’s and… Continue Reading

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Your Liver, Your Health: Part VII – Did I get any on me? Aaaa-aack ! ! !

Main risk factors for exposure to viral hepatitis: Contaminated blood: whole blood (especially any blood products received before 1992), clotting factor (pre-1987), shared IV drug needles…think anything that might have blood cells on it….razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, cuticle scissors (B… Continue Reading

Your Liver, Your Health: Part VI – Sing-Along…..”A, B, C, D, E, F, G……….”

There are five strains of viral hepatitis – A, B, C, D & E. If you fish around on the internet, you’ll also see mention of F (unsubstantiated, may not exist at all) and G (aka GBV-C), still under study.… Continue Reading

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Your Liver, Your Health: Part V – BE AFRAID! BE VERY AFRAID ! ! !

So, y’know, when you’re, like, watching TV and someone is on the news or some talking heads show and saying , “Be afraid…..be very afraid!”, and you’re, like, “Yadda, yadda, yadda……go away !”. Well, don’t you dare yadda, yadda me… Continue Reading

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The Pink Sundial Bridge Will Feature 1,000 Luminaries Along River Trail

A new feature of the Pink Sundial Event on Thursday, October 18 will be 1,000 luminaries lighting the river trail.  These Luminaries will consist of a pink ribbon bag containing a battery-operated candle. When it’s illuminated, the shining light in this… Continue Reading

Your Liver, Your Health: Part IV – Hemochromatosis

Oh, c’mon – you can do this! Just sound it out… hemo… chroma… toe’… sis. Excellent! Good job! The American College of Clinical Pathologists (ACCP) recommends that everyone be tested for hemochromatosis by the age of 25. I’d be willing… Continue Reading

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Your Liver, Your Health: Part III – Fatty Liver

Editor’s note: This is Part 3 of “Your Liver, Your Health,” an eight- part series by Hollis Pickett

In a previous section, I referred to a number of liver conditions that are actually fairly rare – primary biliary cirrhosis (autoimmune), autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson’s Disease (hereditary). More information about these conditions and other more obscure liver issues can be found here or here.
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Your Liver, Your Health: Part II – A Liver in Trouble

All right, folks, stay with me. we’re going to get a little technical and detailed here, starting with some vocabulary and definitions.
Hepatitis – inflammation of the liver

Acute – you’re visibly ill and showing symptoms

Chronic – long-term, ongoing disease or illness – can follow an acute phase or occur without an acute phase

Fulminant liver failure – very sudden onset with widespread damage to liver tissue – potentially fatal

Fibrosis – scarring of liver tissue caused by inflammation (hepatitis)
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Your Liver, Your Health: Part I – Liver Basics

What would you say If I asked you, “What’s the most important organ in your body?”

You might say your heart, or your command-and-control center (brain). I must concede – if your heart stops pumping, you definitely are in a lot of trouble.
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