Hepatitis

Many people with hepatitis will get no symptoms at all or only get symptoms a long time after infection. If you do have symptoms, these may include: yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes ( jaundice ) – yellowed skin may be less noticeable if you have brown or black skin itchy skin pain in your upper tummy, usually under the right side of your ribs pale poo darker pee than normal feeling very tired feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting) a high temperature losing your appetite These symptoms usually last for 1 to 3 weeks, but they can last longer and sometimes may come back again. You might also get flu-like symptoms, diarrhoea, tummy pain, and feel or be sick before the main symptoms of hepatitis start. This can last for 5 to 7 days.

The most common cause of hepatitis is being infected with a hepatitis virus. How you get the virus depends on the type, but you can get an infection by: eating food or drinking water that has come into contact with the poo of an infected person or animal eating raw or undercooked meat (usually pork) or shellfish infected blood or body fluids mixing with your blood Getting infected from blood or body fluids can happen during birth, unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex, or a blood transfusion. It can also happen if you share things like needles, razor blades or toothbrushes, or from equipment that's not been cleaned properly – for example, when getting a tattoo or piercing. Hepatitis can also be caused by: other infections, such as glandular fever and cytomegalovirus (CMV) substances, such as drinking alcohol or eating poisonous mushrooms some medicines, such as statins and NSAIDs other conditions, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or haemochromatosis

There are 5 main viruses that cause different types of hepatitis. There are also non-viral types of hepatitis. The causes and treatment depend on which type you have. Get medical help if you think you have hepatitis. Main types of hepatitis and what causes them Type of hepatitis How you get it Hepatitis A Usually caught from contaminated water or food in certain parts of the world. You can be vaccinated against hepatitis A. Hepatitis B Passed on from infected blood or body fluids. Hepatitis B vaccine is part of the 6-in-1 vaccine offered to all babies in the UK. Hepatitis C Passed on from infected blood. Symptoms often only appear months or years after infection. Hepatitis D Passed on from infected blood or body fluids. Only people who have hepatitis B can get hepatitis D. Hepatitis E Usually caught in the UK from eating raw or undercooked meat or shellfish. In some parts of the world, it can be caught from contaminated food and water. Most people will get better without treatment, but it can make you seriously ill if you're pregnant or have a weakened immune system. Alcoholic hepatitis A stage of alcohol-related liver disease. Usually caused by liver damage from drinking too much alcohol over a long period of time. Can also happen if you regularly drink a lot of alcohol in a short period of time (binge drink). Autoimmune hepatitis Caused by your immune system attacking your own body. More common if you're a woman or have another autoimmune condition. You cannot catch or spread autoimmune hepatitis.

How hepatitis is treated depends on the type, what's caused it or how serious it is. Some types, such as hepatitis A and hepatitis E, usually get better without treatment for the virus. For other types, treatment can include: antiviral medicine to treat or control the infection medicine to help calm your immune system lifestyle changes like drinking less alcohol or keeping to a healthy weight If your liver has been seriously damaged by hepatitis, you may need a liver transplant.

Hepatitis can be short term (acute) or long term (chronic). Short-term hepatitis usually does not cause serious complications, but it can take several months to recover fully. Having hepatitis for a long time, or not having treatment for some types of hepatitis, can cause serious problems. Complications can include: permanent damage to the liver ( cirrhosis ) liver failure liver cancer , or other types of cancer