Hepatitis

Your liver can get sick.

This sickness is called hepatitis. It makes your liver sore. You might feel very tired. You might not want to eat.

Sometimes, your skin looks yellow.

Your eyes might look yellow, too. This is called jaundice.

Tiny germs can cause this. Some germs come from bad water.

Other germs come from blood.

Some sicknesses go away fast. Others stay for a long time. We can use shots to stay safe.

Keeping our bodies healthy is important.

Hepatitis is a word for liver inflammation. This means the liver tissue becomes sore.

Some people feel no symptoms at all. Others feel very tired or sick. They may have pain in their belly. Their skin or eyes might turn yellow. We call this yellow color jaundice.

Doctors use two names for the timing. Acute hepatitis is a sickness that goes away fast. It lasts less than six months. Chronic hepatitis is a sickness that lasts longer than six months.

Many things can cause this. Viruses are a common cause. Hepatitis A and E often come from bad food or water.

Hepatitis B and C can spread through blood. Other causes include heavy alcohol use or certain medicines.

Chronic sickness can lead to cirrhosis. This is when the liver gets heavy scarring. This makes it hard for the liver to work. Some types of hepatitis can be stopped with shots. We call these shots immunizations.

Hepatitis is a word for inflammation in the liver. The name comes from the Greek word "hêpar," which means liver, and "-itis," which means inflammation.

This condition can be very different for every person. Some people have no symptoms at all. Others might feel very tired or have a poor appetite. They may also experience vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea. A common sign is jaundice, which is a yellow color in the skin and the whites of the eyes.

Doctors use different names based on how long the sickness lasts. Acute hepatitis is when the inflammation resolves within six months. Chronic hepatitis is when the inflammation lasts for more than six months.

When someone has acute viral hepatitis, the sickness often follows specific steps. First, there is a phase called the prodromal phase. This is when a person feels flu-like symptoms like headaches or joint pain. Later, they might see changes like dark urine or clay-colored stools. After one to two weeks, jaundice may appear for up to four weeks.

During this time, the liver may become enlarged. Most people with hepatitis A or E recover fully in one to two months. Hepatitis B often resolves within three to four months. However, some cases can lead to liver failure, which is very serious.

Many different things can cause the liver to become inflamed. Viruses are the most common cause around the world. There are five main types: hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.

Hepatitis A and E are mainly spread through contaminated food and water. Hepatitis B, C, and D are spread through contact with infected blood or body fluids. Hepatitis D is a special virus that can only infect people who already have hepatitis B.

Other causes include heavy alcohol use, certain medicines, or even autoimmune diseases. Some people also get hepatitis from parasites, bacteria, or toxins.

History and numbers show how common these illnesses are. In 2015, hepatitis A affected about 114 million people worldwide. Chronic hepatitis B affected about 343 million people, while chronic hepatitis C affected about 142 million.

In the United States, about 11 million people have NASH, which is a type of fatty liver disease. About 5 million Americans have alcoholic hepatitis. Hepatitis causes more than one million deaths every year globally. Most of these deaths happen because of liver cancer or liver scarring. In the U.S., hepatitis A causes about 2,500 cases and 75 deaths each year.

Understanding hepatitis helps us see how our bodies stay healthy. Just like a cut on your skin needs time to heal, the liver tries to recover from inflammation. If the damage stays for a long time, it can lead to cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis is when the liver develops heavy scarring that makes it hard to work. We can prevent some types, like A, B, and D, using immunizations.

For other types, like hepatitis C, doctors use antiviral medications. Staying healthy through good food and physical activity also helps the liver stay strong.

Hepatitis is the medical term for inflammation of the liver tissue. The name comes from the Greek words "hêpar," meaning liver, and "-itis," which means inflammation.

This condition is significant because the liver performs many vital roles in the body. When the liver becomes inflamed, its ability to function can be damaged. Hepatitis can present in many ways, ranging from having no symptoms at all to causing severe liver failure. Doctors categorize the condition based on how long the inflammation lasts. Acute hepatitis is defined as inflammation that resolves within six months. Chronic hepatitis is inflammation that persists for longer than six months.

Acute viral hepatitis often follows a specific sequence of biological stages. It begins with a prodromal phase, which is the period before specific symptoms appear. During this phase, people often feel flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and joint pain. Some may also experience headaches or fever. In cases of hepatitis A and E, fever is more common. Later in this phase, liver-specific signs may appear, such as choluria, which is dark urine, or clay-colored stools. After one to two weeks, jaundice typically develops. Jaundice is a yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes.

This yellowing can last for up to four weeks. During this time, the liver may become enlarged, and the person might feel pain in the upper right abdomen.

While most acute cases resolve, some can lead to a rare and life-threatening complication called fulminant hepatitis. This involves massive hepatic cell death. Fulminant hepatitis can cause coagulopathy, which is an abnormal ability for blood to clot, leading to easy bruising or bleeding. It can also cause encephalopathy, which is a state of confusion, disorientation, or sleepiness. This complication occurs most frequently in cases of hepatitis B and D co-infection. It also affects about 15% to 20% of pregnant women with hepatitis E. If the liver fails completely, it can lead to serious issues like cerebral edema or respiratory failure.

Chronic hepatitis is a different challenge because it often lasts for years. In its early stages, chronic hepatitis is frequently asymptomatic. This means people may not feel sick and might only discover the condition through laboratory blood tests. As the inflammation continues, it can eventually cause constitutional symptoms like fatigue and poor appetite. Chronic inflammation can also interfere with the liver's hormonal functions. This might result in acne, abnormal hair growth called hirsutism, or a lack of menstrual periods in women. If the inflammation is not controlled, it can lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the permanent scarring of the liver tissue that prevents it from working correctly.

There are many different causes for liver inflammation. Viral hepatitis is the most common cause globally. There are five main viruses: hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.

Hepatitis A and E are usually spread through contaminated food and water. Hepatitis B, C, and D are transmitted through contact with infected blood or body fluids. Hepatitis D is a unique, defective virus that can only infect people who already have hepatitis B.

Beyond viruses, hepatitis can be caused by heavy alcohol use, certain medications, or toxins. It can also be caused by autoimmune diseases, where the immune system attacks the liver, or by metabolic issues like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Infectious agents like bacteria and parasites also play a role. For example, the dog tapeworm, known as Echinococcus granulosus, can infect the liver and form cysts.

Bacteria such as Escherichia coli can also cause liver abscesses. The impact of hepatitis is massive on a global scale. In 2015, hepatitis A affected about 114 million people worldwide. Chronic hepatitis B affected approximately 343 million people, and chronic hepatitis C affected 142 million.

Globally, hepatitis results in more than one million deaths every year. Most of these deaths are caused indirectly by liver cancer or extensive liver scarring.

In the United States, the numbers are also significant. About 11 million people are affected by NASH, and about 5 million people have alcoholic hepatitis. While hepatitis C was once spread frequently through blood transfusions, widespread screening since 1992 has reduced that risk to 1 in 2 million. We can take action to prevent and treat these conditions. Immunizations are available to prevent hepatitis A, B, and D.

For chronic hepatitis C, antiviral medications are often recommended. For other types, such as NASH, doctors recommend a healthy diet and physical activity to help maintain liver health.