According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver. Sounds pretty straight forward when you read it, however depending on the type of hepatitis a person contracts, things begin to become more complex.
The Eight Forms of Hepatitis
The second thing you should know about hepatitis is that there are eight different types of it. Not only that they are broken down into two basic categories, viral and non-viral. Each type has a severity level ranging from low to severe.
The types of viral hepatitis according to the Center for Disease Control are:
- Hepatitis A (HAV) – highly contagious
- Hepatitis B (HBV) – primarily a STD
- Hepatitis C (HCV) - contagious
- Hepatitis D (HDV) – not common in the United States
- Hepatitis E (HEV) – rare in the U.S.
The Mayo Clinic categorizes the non-viral forms of hepatitis as:
- Autoimmune Hepatitis – caused by the body’s immune system attacking the liver. While there is no specific indication as to why the immune system attacks the liver, it can be caused by alcohol abuse, some drugs, and toxins.
- Toxic Hepatitis – caused by ingesting toxic chemicals, drugs, or certain poisonous mushrooms. The inflammation usually stops when exposure to the toxins cease.
- Alcoholic Hepatitis – is caused by excessive alcohol consumption in some individuals. There is no definitive reason for why excessive alcohol consumption leads to hepatitis in certain people, though once alcohol use has stopped the condition often reverses.
General Symptoms
General symptoms of hepatitis include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Loss of Appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Clay-colored bowel movements
- Joint pain
- Jaundice
Duration of the Condition
Hepatitis ranges from being an acute illness with a lifespan from a few weeks to six months to developing into a chronic illness leading to cirrhosis or cancer of the liver. HAV and HBV are the only viral forms of hepatitis with a vaccine available, allowing them to be reversible if caught early enough. Alcoholic and Toxic hepatitis are reversible upon ceasing the consumption of the substances which caused the inflammation. Autoimmune hepatitis is the most serious and complex as there is no definitive reason for why the immune system attacks the liver.
Preventative Measures
There are common preventive measures one can take for hepatitis which include being vaccinated for HAV and HBV, practice good hygiene, practice safe sex, do not share needles, limit or cease alcohol consumption, and read food and drug labels for possible effects to the liver. Remember hepatitis comes in more forms than just a virus so pay attention to what you allow inside your body. See your doctor for more information about hepatitis and treatments available for its different types.
Article Resources
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009, March 27). CDC Viral Hepatitis. Retrieved March 30, 2009, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/index.htm
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, August 15). Alcoholic Hepatitis. Retrieved March 30, 2009, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcoholic-hepatitis/DS00785
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2008, February 28). Autoimmune Hepatitis. Retrieved March 30, 2009, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autoimmune-hepatitis/DS00676
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2008, December 17). Toxic Hepatitis. Retrieved March 30, 2009, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/toxic-hepatitis/DS00811
