Anorexia or anorexia nervosa to give it is proper name is a kind of eating disorder but is also classed as a psychological disorder as well. As of yet, no one has determined the cause of the condition but there has been plenty of research into the possibilities. Many specialists feel that it is socially linked where the individuals concerned initially feel compelled to become thin and “attractive”. Some research evidence appears to suggest that a specific area of the brain (the hypothalamus), which is responsible for some metabolic processes is to blame while others suggest that hormone imbalance could be to blame. As things stand though, the jury is still out.

Anorexia

Almost 95% of all anorexia sufferers are female, but as you can see from the figures, males can develop it as well. Normally anorexia starts to make itself apparent in adolescents or during the onset of puberty, but it has been seen in both adults and children as well.

What is quite startling about the condition is the fact that in the so-called countries of high economic prosperity, one in every hundred girls of adolescent age has the disorder. Even more interesting is the fact that anorexia is more prevalent in Caucasians than any other racial background and the middle to higher classes of society.

Hepatitis C is a common infection and although there is currently no vaccine for protection against infection, there are effective treatments available. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that almost 3% of the world’s population is infected with chronic hepatitis C, with four million new cases reported each year. Because it can take years or even decades for symptoms to present themselves, many people are actually unaware that they have the condition. For this reason, by the time these people do become ill, considerable damage would have already been done to the liver – damage that could be prevented with early diagnosis.

Possible symptoms of hepatitis C (when they do appear), include fatigue; weight loss; joint pain; loss of appetite; anxiety; nausea; flu-like symptoms; and, alcohol intolerance along with pain in the liver area. Fatigue is the most common symptom reported and unlike hepatitis A and B, the hepatitis C virus doesn’t cause jaundice.

The virus is normally transmitted via blood-to-blood contact, with the sharing of needles and unsterilized equipment used in tattooing, etc, all to blame for the spread. Sharing toothbrushes and razors can also transmit the disease, as can blood transfusions in countries where blood screening is not up to standard.

Chronic hepatitis C sufferers should be seen be a liver specialist in a medical institution, and they may recommend drug treatments and therapies to treat the condition.

Hepatitis B is a virus that affects the liver. It is more prevalent in Asia and Africa and can be either acute (more common), resolving itself relatively quickly with no long term liver damage, or chronic (in about 20% of cases) lasting six months or more, and sometimes even for life with symptoms coming and going randomly.

Hepatitis B is normally transmitted via contact with infected bodily fluids or blood and only a very small amount of blood is required to transmit the disease because it is that infectious. In the developed world the virus is normally spread via sharing of contaminated needles, unprotected sex and the sharing such things as razor blades. In less developed countries where blood products are not screened properly or medical equipment is not sterilized adequately, this can also lead to the spread of the virus.

Hepatitis B viruses have an incubation period of between six weeks and six months, but approximately one third of all cases show no symptoms of the disease at all. In another third of cases, symptoms appear flu-like in nature and can include aches, pains and weakness; fever; headaches; loss of appetite; jaundice; diarrhea; and, vomiting and nausea. In the last third of cases, the virus can cause severe illness that can last for a long time (many months in some cases).

Vaccines are available nowadays against hepatitis B, but treatment for those infected normally includes nothing more than rest and recuperation. Drug treatments may be required for chronic types of the disease, to prevent damage to the liver and other parts of the body.