Overview
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, an organ that helps with digestion, energy storage, and filtering substances from the blood. Hepatitis may be acute, meaning it happens over a short period, or chronic, meaning it lasts for months or years. Viral hepatitis is a common cause worldwide, but hepatitis can also result from alcohol use, certain medications, toxins, or autoimmune disease.
Key Symptoms
Some people with hepatitis have no symptoms at first. When symptoms happen, they may include tiredness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach discomfort, dark urine, pale stools, joint pain, fever, or yellowing of the skin or eyes. Long-term liver damage may cause swelling in the abdomen or legs, easy bruising, itching, or confusion.
Causes and Risk Factors
Different types of hepatitis spread in different ways. Hepatitis A and E are often linked to contaminated food or water, while hepatitis B, C, and D can spread through blood or certain body fluids, including from shared needles, unsafe medical equipment, untested blood products, or from mother to baby. Heavy alcohol use, some medicines or supplements, exposure to toxins, and autoimmune conditions can also inflame the liver.
Who Is Affected
Hepatitis can affect people of any age and in any country. Risk may be higher for people living in areas with limited clean water or sanitation, people exposed to blood or body fluids, healthcare workers, people who inject drugs, and people with unprotected sex exposures. Babies born to a parent with hepatitis B can also be at risk without prevention measures.
Prevention
Prevention depends on the cause. Vaccination can help prevent hepatitis A and B, and safer food and water practices help reduce hepatitis A and E. Avoiding shared needles or personal items that may have blood on them, using safer sex practices, and making sure tattoos, piercings, and medical procedures use sterile equipment can reduce the risk of hepatitis B and C.
Diagnosis and Tests
A healthcare professional may ask about symptoms, travel, medicines, alcohol use, and possible exposures. Blood tests are commonly used to look for liver inflammation and to identify the cause, such as a hepatitis virus. Some people may also need imaging tests or other liver assessments to check for damage or complications.
Treatment Categories
Treatment depends on the type and cause of hepatitis. Care may include monitoring, supportive treatment, stopping alcohol, changing medicines that may be harming the liver, and treating the specific cause when possible. Chronic viral hepatitis may require specialist care and ongoing follow-up to help reduce liver damage.
Living With It
If you have hepatitis, regular medical follow-up is important because liver problems can change over time. Avoid alcohol unless a healthcare professional specifically advises otherwise, and tell clinicians about all medicines, supplements, and herbal products you use. Household members or close contacts may need testing or vaccination depending on the type of hepatitis.
When to Seek Medical Care
Seek medical care if you develop yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, severe tiredness, ongoing vomiting, abdominal swelling, or pain on the right side of the upper abdomen. Also get medical advice if you think you were exposed to hepatitis through blood, sex, contaminated food or water, or close contact with someone who has viral hepatitis. Early evaluation can help identify the cause and guide next steps.
When It May Be an Emergency
Get urgent help right away for confusion, extreme sleepiness, trouble waking up, severe bleeding, fainting, seizures, severe dehydration, or worsening abdominal swelling with breathing trouble. These can be signs of serious liver failure or other dangerous complications. New jaundice with severe illness also needs urgent assessment.