Highlights
- Hepatitis is any inflammation of the liver, which can have multiple possible causes.
- Viral hepatitis is the most common form of hepatitis, and can lead to long-term problems.
- Knowing how to manage hepatitis and how to get the lowest price on hepatitis medication is key to better outcomes.
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection. It’s estimated that at least 4.6 million Americans have been infected with hepatitis C alone. Hepatitis can be either acute or chronic. Acute hepatitis is a short-term form of the illness, but the chronic form recurs throughout a person’s life. Knowing the signs and causes of hepatitis can help you spot it before it becomes a more serious risk.
Hepatitis Symptoms
In some cases, hepatitis can be entirely asymptomatic, and early progression of the disease can resemble many other types of illness. Common early symptoms include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Poor appetite
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
As the disease progresses, symptoms become more hepatitis-specific. More advanced symptoms include:
- Dark urine
- Yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
- Stools with a clay-like color
- Pain in the upper right abdominal quadrant
- Enlarged spleen
If you’re at risk for hepatitis, for example, if you’ve just taken a trip or a partner has been diagnosed with a transmissible form, ask for liver lab tests if you show any early symptoms.
Hepatitis Causes
The liver can become inflamed for a wide variety of reasons, including:
- Microorganisms. Viral hepatitis is the most common form of hepatitis in the United States, but some common bacterial infections such as meningitis and gonorrhea can potentially cause inflammation as well.
- Parasites. Some parasites, such as liver flukes, can trigger the immune system and cause hepatitis.
- Prescription and over-the-counter medication. Many medications can interfere with liver enzymes and function or interact with each other, causing inflammation.
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This has a progression similar to alcoholic hepatitis but without the presence of alcohol consumption. Research is ongoing, but it appears to be tied to other metabolic disorders, such as diabetes.
- Reduced blood flow. People with congestive heart failure or who have experienced ischemic shock may see blood flow to the liver decrease enough to cause hepatitis.
Hepatitis Risk Factors
While anybody can develop hepatitis, there are some behaviors that can increase the risk of experiencing it, particularly:
- Alcoholism. Heavy, long-term alcohol intake is strongly associated with hepatitis as a symptom, although this can range greatly from an enlarged liver to more serious manifestations of disease.
- Use of intravenous drugs. Viral hepatitis can be transferred between users of the same needle or from poor sanitation practices while injecting drugs.
- Genetics. In some cases, genetic disorders can cause hepatitis. A review of your family history can determine if you need to be tested for this possibility.
- Unprotected sex. Some forms of viral hepatitis, in particular, can be transmitted by a sexual partner.
- Travel to some areas of the world. Poor sanitation and water treatment facilities can also transfer hepatitis, particularly viral, bacterial, and parasitic hepatitis, and are most commonly a problem in disadvantaged areas.
Hepatitis Diagnosis
Generally speaking, hepatitis is diagnosed with a blood test and a case history. The blood test will look at your liver enzymes for abnormalities and look for the DNA or RNA of microorganisms that commonly cause hepatitis. Some types of hepatitis may require a liver biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
Hepatitis Complications
Acute hepatitis rarely has complications beyond its symptoms, although there is a risk for cell death in the liver. Chronic hepatitis, however, raises the risk of cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver.
When injured, the liver attempts to repair itself, but like any injury, no repair is perfect. These scars can collect on the tissue over time and begin interfering with how it functions. However, cirrhosis is often asymptomatic until the scarring has reached an extreme stage, so you may not realize it’s a problem until later in life.
Chronic hepatitis is also a risk factor in liver cancer. While liver cancer is relatively rare in the U.S., if you have chronic hepatitis, speak with your doctor about screening and your overall cancer risk.
Hepatitis Treatment
For acute hepatitis, the symptoms will be managed and the cause targeted. People with liver flukes, for example, are treated with antiparasitics.
If you have chronic hepatitis, treatment becomes a question of management and limiting bouts of inflammation over the long term. Especially early on, medication is the most common approach, using antivirals such as:
- Entecavir (Baraclude)
- Tenofovir (Viread)
- Lamivudine (Epivir)
- Adefovir (Hepsera)
- Telbivudine
These may be combined with each other or with interferon, a protein that improves the effectiveness of antiviral medication.
Hepatitis Prevention
There are several steps that can help you prevent hepatitis, or limit the impact of chronic hepatitis.
- Get vaccinated. Vaccines are available for two strains of viral hepatitis, A and B, both separately and in a combined form that covers both. If you’re not sure if you’ve been vaccinated, check your medical records or ask your doctor.
- Check your medical history. Older people who may have received blood products before the 1990s, intravenous drug users, and people who have had unprotected sex should be screened for viral hepatitis.
- Practice proper hygiene. Most types of hepatitis are transmitted due to poor sanitation practices or risky personal behavior. Taking proper precautions, such as handwashing and only drinking treated water on trips to certain countries, can drastically lower your risk of catching hepatitis.
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