Dr. Amey Sonavane, MBBS, DNB (General Medicine), DNB (Gastroenterology), MRCP (SCE-Gastroenterology), Fellow in Clinical and Transplant Hepatology, is an consultant in the department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver transplantation at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai.
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Alcohol consumption, several health conditions, and some medications can all cause this condition.
Hepatitis refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver. It is commonly the result of a viral infection, but there are other possible causes of hepatitis.
These include autoimmune hepatitis and hepatitis that occurs as a secondary result of medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol. Autoimmune hepatitis is a disease that occurs when your body makes antibodies against your liver tissue.
The five main viral classifications of hepatitis are hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. A different virus is responsible for each type of viral hepatitis.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 354 millionTrusted Source people currently live with chronic hepatitis B and C globally.
Hepatitis A is the result of an infection with the hepatitis A virus (HAV). This type of hepatitis is an acute, short-term disease.
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes hepatitis B. This is often an ongoing, chronic condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that around 826,000Trusted Source people are living with chronic hepatitis B in the United States and around 257 million people worldwide.
Hepatitis C comes from the hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is among the most common bloodborne viral infections in the United States and typically presents as a long-term condition.
According to the CDC, approximately 2.4 million AmericansTrusted Source are currently living with a chronic form of this infection.
This is a rare form of hepatitis that only occurs in conjunction with hepatitis B infection. The hepatitis D virus (HDV) causes liver inflammation like other strains, but a person cannot contract HDV without an existing hepatitis B infection.
Globally, HDV affects almost 5 percentTrusted Source of people with chronic hepatitis B.
Hepatitis E is a waterborne disease that results from exposure to the hepatitis E virus (HEV). Hepatitis E is mainly found in areas with poor sanitation and typically results from ingesting fecal matter that contaminates the water supply.
This disease is uncommonTrusted Source in the United States, according to the CDC.
Hepatitis E is usually acute but can be particularly dangerous in pregnant women.
Although hepatitis is most commonly the result of an infection, other factors can cause the condition.
Excess alcohol consumption can cause liver damage and inflammation. This may also be referred to as alcoholic hepatitis.
The alcohol directly injures the cells of your liver. Over time, it can cause permanent damage and lead to thickening or scarring of liver tissue (cirrhosis) and liver failure.
Other toxic causes of hepatitis include misuse of medications and exposure to toxins.
If you are living with a chronic form of hepatitis, like hepatitis B and C, you may not show symptoms until the damage affects liver function. By contrast, people with acute hepatitis may present with symptoms shortly after contracting a hepatitis virus.
Common symptoms of infectious hepatitis include:
It is crucial to understand what is causing hepatitis in order to treat it correctly. Doctors will progress through a series of tests to accurately diagnose your condition.
Liver function tests use blood samples to determine how efficiently your liver works.
Abnormal results of these tests may be the first indication that there is a problem, especially if you don’t show any signs on a physical exam of liver disease. High liver enzyme levels may indicate that your liver is stressed, damaged, or not functioning correctly.
If your liver function tests are abnormal, your doctor will likely order other blood tests to detect the source of the problem.
These tests can determineTrusted Source if you have infectious hepatitis by checking for the presence of hepatitis viruses or antibodies your body produces to combat them.
