Rawalpindi: A patient living with hepatitis B or C whose liver is functioning absolutely normally and he or she does not have any complications of the disease can fast but still, it is better for such a patient to take advice from a qualified physician while opting for a month-long fasting in Ramazan as experts do not recommend fasting in patients living with any complication of the disease.
Fasting in patients having serious complications of the disease may worsen their health and can be life-threatening. Patients who are suffering from contraction of the liver – called cirrhosis – or ascities (the build-up of fluid in the space between the lining of the abdomen and abdominal organs) or liver cancer must avoid fasting, said Vice Chancellor of Rawalpindi Medical University Professor Dr. Muhammad Umar (SI) while talking to ‘The News’. He added fasting is not recommended medically among patients of hepatitis suffering from hepatic encephalopathy or those who ever experienced blood in vomiting. Also, hepatitis B or C patients who have diabetes should not fast.
Hepatitis B or C patients can be divided into two categories, one who do not have any complications and the second who are suffering from complications or have any other problems like diabetes along with hepatitis B or C. Patients falling in the first category may fast but after taking advice from a qualified physician, he said.
He explained that fasting may cause a lowering of blood sugar in patients with complications of the disease and it might be dangerous for them. Even the fasting patients of hepatitis B or C, if feel drowsiness or pain in the stomach, should break open the fast and consult their physician to avoid complications, said Dr. Umar.
It is important that hepatitis C virus infection is the leading cause of cirrhosis, considered an end-stage liver disease. Most people develop distention of the abdomen due to accumulation of water, and 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 the Pakistani population is infected with the Hepatitis B virus while 5-6% with the hepatitis C virus. 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 leading to hepatic cirrhosis, which is cancer of the liver. It mostly leads to death but the stage comes rarely in patients who take proper treatment.
Talking of the diet of hepatitis B or C patients who are allowed to fast, Professor Umar said they should avoid fried dishes and food that takes time to digest, the food that contains higher fats. They should take a simple diet and avoid eating ‘Pakoras’, Samosas’ or ‘Kachories’ instead it is better for them to take juices and fresh fruits including dates at the time of ‘Iftar’, he said. He added that hepatitis B or C patients while fasting should take plenty of water at the time of ‘Sehr’ and ‘Iftar’ to avoid complications of the disease.
