Hepatitus?

Hello... Need some input....I noticed yest morning that the coloration in my husbands  eyes and face were very yellow...I knew then that this may be a liver problem.  My husband went to the dr today and they mentioned its possibly hepatitus (hepatitis)...I think the results will come in tmrw for sure.  I have 3 year old and a 14 year old and the dr did advise him to stay away frmo the kids.   The dr did advise that he shld be admiited, but because we have no insurance on him at this time he said he could go home and rest but to stay away from the kids.  So while we await these results has anyone had these same symptoms and ended up with HP-C?  Im just a worried wife/mom that cant wait!

[orphanedhawk]

Hepatitis means liver inflammation. I can be caused from many things.
There is no reason for him to stay away from your kids.

If your husband's eyes are yellow he should see a liver specialist, a hepatologist as soon as possible.

[adamben101]

I agree.  If it was Hepatitis C, it's no reason to stay away from your kids.  It's only transferable via blood to an open wound, not everyday hugging and kissing of kids.  If your Dr told him to stay away from kids, it tells me the Dr is ill-informed and I would agree that the best course of action os to find a GI or Hepatologist who are more familiar with the possible liver diseases.  Goog luck.

[crigger]

He could have hep A.  And that can be contagious.

[hrsepwrguy]

Hepatitis A is one type of hepatitis - a liver disease - caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The disease is spread primarily through food or water contaminated by stool from an infected person. You can get HAV from

Eating food prepared by someone with HAV who did not wash their hands after using the bathroom
Having anal/oral sex with someone with HAV
Not washing your hands after changing a diaper
Drinking contaminated water
HAV can cause swelling of the liver, but it rarely causes lasting damage. You may feel as if you have the flu, or you may have no symptoms at all. It usually gets better on its own after several weeks.

The hepatitis A vaccine can prevent HAV. Healthy habits also make a difference. Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food, after using the toilet or after changing a diaper. International travelers should be careful about drinking tap water.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitisa.html

[Diane0531]

Thanks for the input...unfortunatley.my husbands been a heavy drinker in the past but just worried about what the Dr saying it could be HP-C.......hes already done blood test, just awating results and hoping for the best.....just wanted to make sure my kids are safe.

[Diane0531]

Well we do change dirty diapers quite often ....lol so maybe its not soo bad...thanks everyone for the input....will be praying that its not C!

[willbb]

The yellow in your husband eyes is caused by the substance called "bilirubin" level being elevated in the blood stream.

When bilirubin levels are high, the skin and whites of the eyes may appear yellow (jaundice). Jaundice may be caused by liver disease (hepatitis), blood disorders (hemolytic anemia), or blockage of the tubes (bile ducts) that allow bile to pass from the liver to the small intestine.

Bilirubin (formerly referred to as hematoidin) is the yellow breakdown product of normal heme catabolism. Heme is found in hemoglobin, a principal component of red blood cells. Bilirubin is excreted in bile and urine, and elevated levels may indicate certain diseases. It is responsible for the yellow color of bruises, the yellow color of urine (via its reduced breakdown product, urobilin), the brown color of faeces (via its conversion to stercobilin), and the yellow discoloration in jaundice.

The results of  his tests tommorow will ascertain whether or not he has been exposed to HCV,and if so a referal to a specialist to discuss his care and possible treatment going forward would be warranted..
Good luck to you both  and welcome..
Will

[Diane0531]

Thanks so much for the info! I appreciate it!

[orphanedhawk]

Of course it could be hep C or cirrhosis from years of alcohol use or from something else.
Cirrhosis can be life threatening no matter what the underlying cause.

Needless to say your husband should not drink alcohol.

My guess is your doctor may have said it could be hep C simply because of the huge numbers of people with hep C.
It sounds somewhat irresponsible to me.
When I was first diagnosed,  I was told I had liver disease but they wouldn't know the cause until they saw the lab results.

[Diane0531]

Unfortunaltey my husband was diagnosid with Hep C!  Its been really tough the past few days trying to understand all this.  I went ahead and had them test me to be sure.  Hes been off alcohol and drinking straight clear liquids the past few days.  His first appointment to see the specialist is not till the end of March! (Which is crazy)  the last 2 days hes been saying hes starting to feel fine and now wants to go back to work this Monday and I feel as that is ridiculous! Anyone input on if this is safe to do before getting treated?  He's a construction/plumber so idk?? Men just DO NOT Listen! LOL

[crigger]

Sorry, he has hep c. It can be treated. I know you said you do not have insurance There are trials out there that pay for everything. I personally do not have information on these. I would start a new post asking for info on the trial also the drug company's give discounted meds or free for people of certain income. He  could go back to work but he need to take it slow. He needs to stop drinking that is the worst thing he can do for his liver.    Good luck.  This is a great place for information and comfort.

[orphanedhawk]

Okay he has hep C. This doesn't change the fact he has cirrhosis.
Hep C is spread blood to blood so there is no reason for him not to work if he feels up to it.

The only other suggestion than not drinking alcohol would be to avoid iron rich and salty foods. It wouldn't be bad idea to stay away from red meat.
This is all to make it easier for his liver.

Unless you can get him into the specialist sooner, there's nothing you can do but be patient and try reading up on hep C.

Here's one site:
www.hepcadvocate.com

[Diane0531]

Thanks for the info I appreciate the support as well! It gives me much comfort that this isnt as bad as I thought it was.  Hes def. quite drinking and his dr has provide resourses on how to get help with payments,meds etc.  Again thanks for the support!! ( :