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Hepatitis
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis (hep-ah-TIE-tis) is a disease that makes the liver swell. Most hepatitis is caused by viruses (germs), but alcohol, drugs and other factors can cause the disease.Some types of hepatitis can be spread through sexual contact. Hepatitis is sometimes a sexually transmitted disease (or STD).
Don't most people recover from hepatitis?
Yes. Most people do recover from hepatitis. Yet hepatitis presents a serious health risk because it can:
- Destroy liver tissue
- Easily spread from person to person
- Weaken the body's ability to fight illnesses
- Cause the liver to fail
- Cause liver cancer
- Cause death
What is viral hepatitis?
Viral hepatitis is hepatitis caused by a virus (germ). Several viruses are known to cause hepatitis. Viral hepatitis can be spread from person to person.Common forms of viral hepatitis are:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
Who has a higher risk of getting hepatitis?
You have a higher risk if you:
- Share needles to take drugs
- Practice oral-anal sex
- Have many sex partners
- Drink a lot of alcohol
- Have poor nutrition
- Work in a hospital
- Work in a nursing home
- Receive kidney dialysis
- Travel to areas with poor sanitation
How can you catch viral hepatitis?
Hepatitis A from:
- Eating food or drinking water carrying the virus.
Hepatitis B from:
- Sex with an infected person
- Sharing dirty needles
- Direct contact with infected blood
- Needle stick injuries
- Mother to unborn child
- Contact with an infected person's body fluids
An infected mother has a 70 percent chance of giving hepatitis B to her unborn child during birth. Pregnant women from high-risk groups should be tested for hepatitis. Infants with hepatitis B need to get treatment within 12 hours of birth.
Hepatitis C from:
- Sharing dirty needles
- Direct contact with infected blood
- Needle stick injuries
- Sex with an infected person (less common)
Blood products are tested for hepatitis B and C, so it's unlikely that a person will get hepatitis from receiving blood products.
Is hepatitis B more common than other types of hepatitis?
Hepatitis B is probably the most common form of viral hepatitis. It's hard to know how many people have hepatitis B because people can carry the virus without feeling sick. These people can still spread the virus.Hepatitis B is also the most serious form of hepatitis. Unlike hepatitis A, it can lead to chronic hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis is a condition in which there is ongoing damage to the liver.
What is alcoholic hepatitis?
Alcoholic hepatitis is a liver disease caused by drinking alcohol. Like other forms of hepatitis, it causes the liver to swell. Liver tissue becomes damaged and cannot function.A person can recover from each attack of alcoholic hepatitis, but damage to the liver can build up. Alcoholic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis (si-row-sis) of the liver. Cirrhosis often causes the liver to function poorly and can lead to death.
Alcoholic hepatitis is most common in people who drink heavily. A person does not have to be "drunk all the time" to develop alcoholic hepatitis. People who drink small amounts of alcohol regularly can sometimes get the disease.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis?
- Dark urine
- Light-colored stool
- Stomach pain
- Yellow skin or eye whites (jaundice, john-dis)
Other symptoms of hepatitis:
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Tiredness
- Weakness
- Red palms
- Feeling sick to the stomach
- Lack of nutrition
How can I protect myself?
- Get the vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B
- Use a condom during sex
- Avoid oral-anal contact
- Don't share needles to take drugs
- Practice good personal hygiene
- Don't use an infected person's personal items
- Don't abuse alcohol
How can I know if I have viral hepatitis?
Blood tests can tell you if you have viral hepatitis. A health care provider takes a small sample of blood for testing.How can I know if I have alcoholic hepatitis?
Alcoholic hepatitis can be hard to spot because a person can recover from symptoms even though damage to the liver progresses. When alcoholic hepatitis leads to cirrhosis, symptoms include:
- A large or tender liver
- Extra fluid in the stomach area
- Changes in blood vessels in the skin
- Swollen or bleeding veins
Can hepatitis be treated?
There are no treatments that will cure hepatitis. To improve health:
- Avoid alcohol
- Practice good nutrition
- If you feel sick, rest
- Take any medicine prescribed for you (Interferon works for some people)
This information is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please contact your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B can be caught from another person who has the virus. Most commonly it is spread by having sex with an infected person or by sharing a needle. A blood test can tell you if you have hepatitis.
What is hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a serious form of hepatitis caused by a virus. It affects people of all ages around the world. The hepatitis B virus attacks the liver. The virus can lead to serious illness, liver damage and, in some cases, death.How is hepatitis B spread?
Hepatitis B is spread through the blood and body fluids (semen and fluids from the vagina) of an infected person. The virus can be caught by:
- Sharing dirty needles to take drugs
- Having sex with an infected person
- Using an infected person's personal items (such as razors, toothbrushes, scissors or nail files)
- Being stuck with a dirty needle
The chance of catching hepatitis B from receiving blood transfusions is unlikely because donated blood is tested for the virus.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis B?
Some people who are infected never feel sick. Others who are newly infected have symptoms that last for several weeks. Symptoms include:
- Achy muscles or joints
- Stomach pain
- Loss of appetite
- Mild fever
- Loose stool (diarrhea)
- Lack of energy
- Constipation
- Yellowing of skin or whites of the eyes
- Being sick to your stomach
- Brown urine
Can a person get more than one form of hepatitis?
Yes. You can get different forms of hepatitis at different times. For example, if you have had hepatitis A, you can still get hepatitis B.Who are hepatitis B carriers?
Hepatitis B carriers are people who have the hepatitis B virus in their blood, even though they do not feel sick. They can infect others without knowing it. A blood test can tell you if you are a hepatitis B carrier.What is the difference between acute and chronic hepatitis?
When a person is first infected with hepatitis, they are said to have "acute" hepatitis. Acute hepatitis can be mild or severe. Luckily, more than 80 percent of the people infected with hepatitis recover within six months and no longer have the virus.Some people do not recover and develop "chronic" hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis is an ongoing infection of the liver that can lead to cirrhosis (si-row-sis). Cirrhosis, or hardening of the liver, causes liver tissue to scar and stop working.
What are the long-term effects of hepatitis B?
- Becoming a hepatitis B carrier
- Chronic hepatitis B infection
- Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
- Liver cancer
- Liver failure
- Death
Can a pregnant woman give hepatitis to her baby?
Yes. A pregnant woman can easily spread the hepatitis virus to her baby at the time of birth. (It is unlikely that an infected woman will spread the virus to her baby during pregnancy.)Many babies infected with hepatitis B develop long-term liver problems. All newborn babies should be given the vaccine for hepatitis at birth and during their first year of life.
Can hepatitis B be treated?
There are no effective treatments for hepatitis B. To improve health:
- Avoid alcohol.
- Eat well-balanced meals.
- If you feel sick, rest.
How can I protect myself from hepatitis B?
- Get the hepatitis B vaccine.
- Use a condom during sex.
- Don't share needles to take drugs.
- Practice good, personal hygiene.
- Don't use an infected person's personal items.
Who should get the vaccine?
All newborn babies
- People who are exposed to infected blood or body fluids of friends or family members
- People who use needles to take recreational drugs
- All people who have sex with more than one person
- Health care providers who may come in contact with the virus
- People working in day care centers and institutions caring for children and prisoners
This information is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please contact your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.
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