Patients suffering from complications of hepatitis B or C should avoid fasting

Rawalpindi
Medically, fasting is not recommended in patients suffering from complications of hepatitis B or C including contraction of liver known as cirrhosis, ascites (distention of abdomen due to accumulation of water) or liver cancer as it may pose serious threat to their lives.
Hepatitis B or C patients who have developed complications of the disease must avoid fasting as it may cause lowering of blood sugar that can be dangerous for them.
Patients with chronic hepatitis B or C who are not suffering from any complication of the disease may fast in the holy month of Ramazan but they need extra care to avoid problems, said Rawalpindi Medical College Principal Professor of Medicine Dr. Muhammad Umar while talking to 'The News'.
He suggested that patients having no complications of the disease when fast should take extra care of diet and medication and if they feel drowsiness or pain in stomach
during fast, they need not to retain it instead they
should break open fast and consult their physician immediately to avoid serious complications.
Even for patients with chronic hepatitis B or C having no complications, the best option is to consult their physicians before opting for regular fasting in Ramazan, he said. He added that these patients may require change in their schedule of medication while fasting and it should be done after proper advice from a qualified physician.
Patients of hepatitis B or C who are undergoing treatment through injections or oral medicines can also fast but they must keep in mind that they should not discontinue medication including administration of injections, said Professor Umar while responding to a query. He added that such patients must consult their physicians before opting for fasting.
Hepatitis can be defined as the inflammation and necrosis (the affected cells become oxygen deprived) of the liver cells by the action of viruses named Kypfer cells.
Hepatitis is either acute self-limited or persistent or recurrent that causes chronic inflammations and leads to hepatic cirrhosis that is cancer of liver. It mostly leads to death but the stage comes rarely in patients who take proper treatment.
Hepatitis C virus infection is the leading cause of cirrhosis, considered as the end-stage liver disease. Most of the people develop distention of abdomen due to accumulation of water, many present with vomiting of blood as the veins in the food passage rupture due to raised pressure of the portal circulation. It is estimated that 3-4% of
Pakistani population is infected with Hepatitis B virus while 5-6% with hepatitis C virus.
Dr. Umar said the patients of hepatitis B or C, while
fasting, should not take food containing higher fats specifically at the time of 'Iftar'.
Patients suffering from hepatitis B or C should not take
fried dishes at the time of 'Sehr' and 'Iftar' and should avoid eating 'Pakoras', Samosas', 'Kachories' and like items.
The best option for hepatitis patients is to have juices and fresh fruits including dates and plenty of water at the time of 'Iftar', he added.