Hepatitis risk factors: from sharing needles to drinking alcohol

Hepatitis is a serious inflammatory liver infection that impairs liver function. Viral infection is the cause of most hepatitis cases in the world. Viral hepatitis is a major risk factor for liver cancer.

This virus is transmitted through direct or indirect contact with body fluids, such as blood, feces, vaginal secretions, or semen. You can be at risk if you work in a hospital or nursery, or if you unknowingly eat food contaminated with feces while traveling.

In addition, excessive alcohol consumption or use of certain drugs can also cause hepatitis. In addition, suppression of the immune system can also cause hepatitis. Here is a further explanation of the various risk factors for hepatitis.

What are the risk factors for hepatitis?

1. Risk behavior

A number of specific behaviors can be risk factors for hepatitis, including:

Sharing needles (medical / drug) with other people can expose you to infected blood.
Have HIV. If you become infected with HIV through sharing needles (medical / drug), receiving contaminated blood transfusions, or having sex without a condom, your risk of developing hepatitis also increases. However, it's exposure to body fluids that puts you at risk, not your HIV status.
Tattoos, body piercing, and other needle exposures. If you intend to get a tattoo, body piercing, or even acupuncture that does not use a new needle for each client, your risk for hepatitis and other blood-borne infections such as HIV will increase significantly.
Sex without a condom (both vaginal, anal and oral). Although hepatitis A and E are most commonly transmitted through consumption of contaminated food and water, oral-anal sexual contact can also transmit the hepatitis virus.

2. Drug and alcohol abuse

Certain drugs can cause serious liver damage if you use them inappropriately, for example paracetamol (acetaminophen). Other drugs can also trigger hepatitis, such as methotrexate (Trexall, Rheumatrex), which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.

Apart from drugs, long-term alcohol consumption can also cause hepatitis. The people most at risk are those who drink up to 100 grams of alcohol daily, and regularly consume about 10 or more alcoholic drinks a day, for several years.

3. Conditions of residence and workplace

The conditions in which you live and work can be risk factors for hepatitis if:

You work with children. This is because after changing diapers, you can forget to wash your hands, and you could be exposed to contaminated items that your child has touched before, such as snacks, toys, and other surfaces if they forget to wash their hands after going to the bathroom.
You care for and live with someone who has hepatitis. The hepatitis virus can be transmitted from shared personal items, such as toothbrushes, razors, or even nail clippers that may have been infected with small amounts of blood.
You are a health care worker (doctor, nurse, nurse or midwife). You are at high risk of exposure to contaminated patient blood and medical equipment, such as needles.

4. Contamination of water and food

Most cases of hepatitis A and E are transmitted through consumption of water or food contaminated with virus-infected feces. This includes consuming fresh fruit and vegetables that may have been washed with contaminated water, and food or drinks that may have been treated with that water.