Overview
Hepatitis is a condition that causes liver inflammation and can cause a range of health problems, sometimes fatally. There are several different types of hepatitis, which differ in fundamental ways, including how they are transmitted, the severity of the illness and how to prevent them. Some types of Hepatitis pass with no severe problems, while other forms can become chronic and cause other liver conditions.
Key Facts
- Hepatitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the liver.
- A virus causes it.
- Some types of Hepatitis can be vaccinated against.
- Chronic hepatitis can lead to liver damage.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
Symptoms
Short-term inflammation of the liver can have no noticeable symptoms, so it is possible that you may not realise you have Hepatitis. If symptoms do occur, they can include:
- Muscle and joint pain
- A high temperature
- Feeling and being sick
- Feeling unusually tired all the time
- A general sense of feeling unwell
- Loss of appetite
- Tummy pain
- Dark urine
- Pale, grey-coloured poop
- Yellowing of eyes
Long-term (chronic) hepatitis also may not have obvious symptoms until the liver stops working properly and may only be picked up during blood tests. In its later stages, it can cause:
- Jaundice
- Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet
- General confusion
- Blood in your stools or vomit
Diagnosis
During your appointment with your doctor or specialist, they’ll take a history of your physical well-being and your family history. They’ll also conduct a physical exam of you. They could also conduct several tests, including a liver function test, a complete blood count, an abdominal CT scan and an ultrasound of the liver.
Your doctor may also order a liver biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. This is a procedure to take a tissue sample from your liver, and this will show the severity of any damage to your liver.
Causes & Prevention
Causes
There are several varieties of Hepatitis: A, B, C, D, E, alcoholic and auto-immune.
Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E are caused by a virus but are transmitted differently depending on the strain. Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol over a long period, and auto-immune hepatitis is rare, where the body’s immune system attacks the liver.
Hepatitis E is generally a mild and short-term infection that does not require any treatment, but it can be severe in some people, such as those with a weakened immune system.
There is no vaccine for hepatitis E. When travelling to parts of the world with poor sanitation, where epidemic hepatitis E may be common, you can reduce your risk by practising good food and water hygiene measures.
Alcoholic hepatitis
Alcoholic hepatitis is a type of hepatitis caused by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol over many years. The condition is common, and many people do not realize they have it. This is because it does not usually cause symptoms, although it can cause sudden jaundice and liver failure in some people.
Stopping drinking will usually allow your liver to recover. Still, there is a risk you could eventually develop cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer if you continue to drink alcohol excessively.
You can reduce your risk of developing alcoholic hepatitis by controlling how much you drink. It is recommended that you do not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week.
Autoimmune hepatitis
Autoimmune hepatitis is a rare cause of long-term hepatitis in which the immune system attacks and damages the liver. Eventually, the liver can become so damaged that it stops working correctly.
Treating autoimmune hepatitis involves effective medicines that suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation.
It is not clear what causes autoimmune hepatitis, and it is not known whether anything can be done to prevent it.
Prevention
Simple prevention tactics can prevent the majority of Hepatitis cases. The Key is hygiene.
Hepatitis A is usually caught by consuming food and drink contaminated with the faeces of an infected person. Hepatitis E is usually caught by eating raw or undercooked pork, offal, venison and shellfish. Therefore, practising good hygiene is one fundamental way to avoid contracting hepatitis A and E. So make sure you wash your hands after using the toilet and ensure that you wash your hands before handling raw meat, as well as ensure that all food is cooked correctly.
Hepatitis B is spread in an infected person’s blood, and Hepatitis C and D are spread through blood-to-blood contact with an infected person.
So to avoid contracting these, do the following:
- Not share drug needles
- Not share razors
- Not use someone else’s toothbrush
- Not touch spilt blood
Hepatitis B and C can also be transmitted through sexual intercourse and interactions. The risk of infection can be reduced by practising safer sex and using condoms and dental dams.
Vaccination
Vaccinations are also available to prevent Hepatitis A and B.
Treatments
Treatment will depend on the type of hepatitis you have:
- Hepatitis A: there is no specific treatment, as your body will clear the virus on its own in most cases.
- Hepatitis B: antiviral medications are typically prescribed to treat it.
- Hepatitis C: Antiviral medications can cure more than 95% of people with it.
- Hepatitis D: antiviral medication is the primary treatment to treat it.
- Hepatitis E: there is no specific treatment, as it usually clears up within four weeks.
Conclusion
For most people, hepatitis is a short-term illness that can be recovered. The best treatment is prevention, so there’s a focus on vaccinations available as well as good hygiene and living well to avoid long-term liver impact.
MOST COMMON
