With hepatitis, the liver becomes inflamed; it is often tender and swollen. Hepatitis can cause permanent liver damage.

There are a number of types of viral hepatitis:

• Hepatitis A, spread by contact with feces or fecal material

• Hepatitis B and C, caused by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person, often from unprotected sex or needle-sharing

Other types of hepatitis include:

• Autoimmune hepatitis, which has no known cause

• Alcoholic hepatitis

• Drug-induced hepatitis, caused by exposure to certain medications, vitamins, herbal remedies or food supplements

Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Symptoms
You may never have any obvious symptoms. If you do have symptoms, the illness usually begins with these flulike symptoms:

• Loss of appetite

• Fever

• General aching

• Tiredness

Other possible early symptoms are:

• Itching with or without hives

• Painful joints

• Loss of taste for cigarettes if you are a smoker

After several days you may also have some of these symptoms:

• Nausea and vomiting

• Foul breath and bitter taste in the mouth

• Dark, brown urine

• Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes

• Pain just below the ribs on your right side

• Bowel movements that are whitish or light yellow and may be looser than normal

Diagnosing hepatitis
We will ask about your medical history and symptoms. You will have a physical exam, and we will check your abdomen to see if the liver is enlarged or tender. You may have blood tests to see what type of hepatitis you have as well as a urine test.

Treating hepatitis
The usual treatment is rest and a healthy diet. In addition, we will recommend that you avoid alcohol. Medication may be prescribed for some types of viral hepatitis.