Hepatitis A to G: The Facts You Need to Know About All the Forms of This Dangerous Disease

Injection drug use, having sex with an infected partner, or sharing razors with an infected person increase your risk of getting hepatitis B. Hepatitis C is transmitted through direct contact with infected body fluids, typically through injection drug use and sexual contact. HCV is among the most common bloodborne viral infections in the United States. Also called delta hepatitis, hepatitis D is a serious liver disease caused by the hepatitis D virus HDV.

HDV is contracted through direct contact with infected blood. Hepatitis D is a rare form of hepatitis that only occurs in conjunction with hepatitis B infection.

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Hepatitis E is mainly found in areas with poor sanitation and typically results from ingesting fecal matter that contaminates the water supply. This disease is uncommon in the United States. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause liver damage and inflammation. This is sometimes referred to as alcoholic hepatitis.

The alcohol directly injures the cells of your liver. Over time, it can cause permanent damage and lead to liver failure and cirrhosis , a thickening and scarring of the liver. Other toxic causes of hepatitis include overuse or overdose of medications and exposure to poisons. In some cases, the immune system mistakes the liver as a harmful object and begins to attack it.

It causes ongoing inflammation that can range from mild to severe, often hindering liver function. If you have infectious forms of hepatitis that are chronic, like hepatitis B and C, you may not have symptoms in the beginning. Symptoms may not occur until the damage affects liver function.

To diagnose hepatitis, first your doctor will take your history to determine any risk factors you may have for infectious or noninfectious hepatitis. Your doctor may also feel to see if your liver is enlarged. If your skin or eyes are yellow, your doctor will note this during the exam. Liver function tests use blood samples to determine how efficiently your liver works. High liver enzyme levels may indicate that your liver is stressed, damaged, or not functioning properly.

If your liver function tests are abnormal, your doctor will likely order other blood tests to detect the source of the problem. These tests can check for the viruses that cause hepatitis. They can also be used to check for antibodies that are common in conditions like autoimmune hepatitis. An abdominal ultrasound uses ultrasound waves to create an image of the organs within your abdomen.

This test allows your doctor to take a close at your liver and nearby organs. Sometimes the pancreas shows up on ultrasound images as well. This can be a useful test in determining the cause of your abnormal liver function. A liver biopsy is an invasive procedure that involves your doctor taking a sample of tissue from your liver. Typically, an ultrasound is used to guide your doctor when taking the biopsy sample. This test allows your doctor to determine how infection or inflammation has affected your liver. It can also be used to sample any areas in your liver that appear abnormal.

Treatment options are determined by which type of hepatitis you have and whether the infection is acute or chronic. Bed rest may be recommended if symptoms cause a great deal of discomfort. The hepatitis A vaccine is available to prevent this infection. Most children begin vaccination between ages 12 and 18 months.

Vaccination for hepatitis A is also available for adults and can be combined with the hepatitis B vaccine. Chronic hepatitis B is treated with antiviral medications. This form of treatment can be costly because it must be continued for several months or years. Treatment for chronic hepatitis B also requires regular medical evaluations and monitoring to determine if the virus is responding to treatment.

Fast Facts

Hepatitis B can be prevented with vaccination. The CDC recommends hepatitis B vaccinations for all newborns. The series of three vaccines is typically completed over the first six months of childhood. The vaccine is also recommended for all healthcare and medical personnel. Antiviral medications are used to treat both acute and chronic forms of hepatitis C.

People who develop chronic hepatitis C are typically treated with a combination of antiviral drug therapies. They may also need further testing to determine the best form of treatment. People who develop cirrhosis scarring of the liver or liver disease as a result of chronic hepatitis C may be candidates for a liver transplant.

No antiviral medications exist for the treatment of hepatitis D at this time. According to a study , a drug called alpha interferon can be used to treat hepatitis D, but it only shows improvement in about 25 to 30 percent of people. Hepatitis D can be prevented by getting the vaccination for hepatitis B, as infection with hepatitis B is necessary for hepatitis D to develop. Currently, no specific medical therapies are available to treat hepatitis E. Because the infection is often acute, it typically resolves on its own. People with this type of infection are often advised to get adequate rest, drink plenty of fluids, get enough nutrients, and avoid alcohol.

However, pregnant women who develop this infection require close monitoring and care. Corticosteroids, like prednisone or budesonide, are extremely important in the early treatment of autoimmune hepatitis. For example, the cause of hepatitis A is the hepatitis A virus. Drug or alcohol use can also lead to hepatitis. In other cases, your immune system attacks healthy liver cells in your body by mistake.

Vaccines prevent some viral hepatitis forms. Sometimes hepatitis goes away by itself. If it does not, it can be treated with drugs. In some cases, hepatitis lasts a lifetime. Acute hepatitis is the initial infection, which may be mild or severe.

If the infection lasts for six months or longer, the condition is called chronic hepatitis. Hepatitis A and E do not cause chronic hepatitis. Hepatitis viruses B, C, and D can produce both acute and chronic episodes of the illness. Chronic hepatitis B and C are especially serious. Volume 4 Number 2 Pages 22 - Home Current Issue Past Issues. For an enhanced version of this page please turn Javascript on.

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Types of Hepatitis Currently, five different viruses are known to cause viral hepatitis: Sometimes called "infectious hepatitis," hepatitis A is spread by eating food or drinking water contaminated with human waste. Hepatitis A is rarely life-threatening. Also called "serum hepatitis," hepatitis B spreads from mother to child at birth or soon after, and also through sexual contact, contaminated blood transfusions and needles.

Hepatitis B may scar the liver cirrhosis and lead to liver cancer. Formerly known as "non-A, non-B hepatitis," hepatitis C is the most common form of viral hepatitis. It may scar the liver. Hepatitis C infection is common in about 25 percent of people who are HIV-positive. Hepatitis C also infects up to 90 percent of HIV-infected injection drug users. And it is more severe in patients with HIV.