Hepatitis Can be Silent: Why Screening Matters

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Feeling healthy does not always mean that your liver is healthy. Hepatitis B and C can remain in the body for years without causing noticeable symptoms, while liver damage continues to develop gradually.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health has reported that around 90 percent of people living with hepatitis are unaware that they have been infected with the hepatitis virus. This presents a challenge in tackling the disease, as many people only discover their infection after it has progressed.

In an online interview with RRI Voice of Indonesia, medical doctor and health educator dr. Adam Prabata explained that chronic hepatitis B and C can remain in the body for years, or even decades, while gradually causing inflammation and scarring of the liver.

“With chronic hepatitis like B or C, the virus may stay in our body for years or even decades while slowly causing inflammation and make scar. Scar is like keloid in our skin, but it happens in our liver,” Adam said.

During this process, people with hepatitis may continue to feel healthy without experiencing pain, fever, or yellowing of the skin and eyes. However, their liver can continue to deteriorate gradually.

“So why has it become dangerous? Because the patient usually feeling healthy. However, the liver is not healthy at all. It got damaged, damaged, damaged, damaged like that,” he said.

If left undetected and untreated, chronic hepatitis can cause serious liver damage, including cirrhosis, or severe scarring of the liver, and eventually liver cancer. Adam therefore urged people not to wait for symptoms before getting screened.

“My main message is do not wait for your liver to give you symptoms. Please do not wait. Many people with hepatitis B or C can look healthy and feel completely well for many, many years,” he said.

According to him, screening is particularly important for people with certain risk factors, including those who have a family member with hepatitis B, have been exposed to potentially contaminated blood or needles, or work in environments where they may be exposed to blood, such as healthcare workers.

“Otherwise, if you have been exposed to potentially contaminated blood or needles or if you are healthcare workers or simply if you want to know your hepatitis status, please talk to your doctors,” Adam said.