What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is a general term
for inflammation of the liver. Normally, the liver breaks
down waste products in your blood. But when the liver is inflamed, it doesn’t
do a good job of getting rid of waste products. This causes waste products to
build up in your blood and tissues. Many different things can
cause hepatitis. The most common cause of hepatitis is infection with
one of the 5 hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D, or E).
What are the symptoms?
After you have been exposed to the virus, it
can take from 2 to 7 weeks before you see any signs of it. Symptoms usually
last for about 2 months but may last longer.
Common symptoms are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Jaundice (the yellowing of the skin and the
whites of the eyes)
- Low-grade fever (fever up to 102°F)
- Fatigue
- Pain in your abdomen, especially on your right
side
- Dark-colored urine
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle pain
- Itching
Types of hepatitis
Hepatitis A (Hep A) is liver inflammation
caused by the hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis A is very contagious. This means
that you can easily catch the virus from someone or give it to
another person.
Hepatitis B (also called Hep B) is a serious
liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. The virus is usually
spread from person to person through contact with blood and/or body fluids of
someone who has the infection.
Hepatitis C is a serious liver infection caused
by the hepatitis C virus. It is spread from person to person through contact
with blood. Most people who are infected with hepatitis C don’t experience any
symptoms for years. However, hepatitis C usually is a chronic illness.