Hepatitis is a condition where your liver becomes inflamed and there are many things that can injure your liver and trigger hepatitis. Toxic chemicals, viral infections and bile flow can also cause hepatitis. 

Hepatitis commonly occurs due to viral infection but there could be other reasons as well. There is autoimmune hepatitis that occurs when your body begins to produce antibodies against your liver tissue while on the other hand there is hepatitis that occurs as a secondary result of medications, drugs, toxins and alcohol.

While the injury and the inflammatory response can be temporary, it can sometimes be ongoing. If the liver inflammation prevails for a long period of time then it is called chronic hepatitis and if the inflammation remains for a short period of time then it is called acute hepatitis. 

Inflammation occurs so that your liver can defend and repair your liver tissues from harm and this is a continuous response to an ongoing problem. If this prolongs, inflammation can itself be harmful for your liver and it can interfere with its important functions. 

How can you recognize the symptoms and signs of hepatitis?

Hepatitis is stealthy and it often presents itself without any noticeable symptoms at first. These are some of the following symptoms that you might notice:

• Upper abdominal pain feeling soreness on the right side
• Nausea or loss of appetite
• Fatigue and malaise
• If you are affected by viral infection, then you may also experience fever.

When hepatitis begins to interfere with the functioning of your liver, you might then start to notice additional symptoms. This happens in more severe cases of acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis that have been prevailing for a prolonged period. 

When your liver does not process bile, it does not go where it is required in your body and so it begins to overflow into your bloodstream.  This may result in following signs such as : 

• Jaundice
• Dark-coloured urine
• Light coloured stool
• Pruritus –  itchy skin
• Disorientation and confusion – hepatic encephalopathy

Being one of the best oncology hospitals in Dharmapuri, Thangam Cancer Center delivers cutting-edge and affordable cancer treatment to its patients. Thangam also has a Hepatobiliary specialty that excels in diagnosing any type of liver related conditions, so you can consult the experts there to get your hepatitis treated on time.

Types of Hepatitis

Numerous factors can induce hepatitis and many are capable of leading to either acute or chronic forms, depending on their duration of impact on the liver. There are many types of hepatitis and let us take a look at each of them in detail.

• Viral Hepatitis

Viral Hepatitis is caused by viruses that infect and damage your liver cells and this leads to inflammation which is actually a response from your immune system. There are many types of viral hepatitis infections and they are : 

• Hepatitis A : 

• This is an acute infection which causes acute hepatitis.
• Hepatitis A can last for several months and it can occasionally become severe enough to cause acute liver failure.

• Hepatitis B:

• Hepatitis B also begins as an acute infection but for the majority of people, it can develop into a chronic infection.
• Hepatitis B remains as the most frequent cause of chronic hepatitis.

• Hepatitis C : 

• Hepatitis C often begins as an acute condition but then develops into a chronic infection like Hepatitis B.
• This is also one of the most common causes of chronic hepatitis.

• Hepatitis D : 

• This hepatitis type is most prevalent in Asia and is uncommon in the other parts of the world.
• Hepatitis E causes acute infection with acute hepatitis.

Viruses such as Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) causes infectious mononucleosis and acute hepatitis while the Cytomegalovirus causes acute hepatitis in immunocompromised patients. The other types are: 

• Toxic hepatitis : Caused when the toxin load in your bloodstream gets too heavy for the liver to handle. These toxins can slow the filtering function of your liver and can even damage its cells. Industrial chemicals, prescription drugs can cause this type of hepatitis. 
• Alcohol- induced hepatitis : This type of hepatitis can be chronic or acute and is caused due to heavy alcohol consumption. 
• Autoimmune hepatitis : This is an autoimmune disease wherein your immune system mistakenly attacks your own liver tissue. This autoimmune hepatitis occurs for no apparent reason.

Risk Factors :

The following are the risk factors that contribute towards you acquiring hepatitis: 

• Intravenous drug usage
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• Exposure to toxic chemicals
• High Cholesterol, high blood sugar and obesity cause hepatitis
• Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen

Complications : 

• Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
• Liver Cancer
• Liver Failure

Treating hepatitis at the right time and bringing healthy lifestyle habits can be the cure for hepatitis. Being one of the top hospitals for cancer treatment, Thangam Cancer Center is an expert in treating acute and chronic hepatitis. They also excel in treating liver cancer. Choosing the best lifestyle habits is the way to lead a healthy and happy life.