What is Viral Hepatitis?

Viral hepatitis is a liver disease caused by the liver becoming infected with the hepatitis A, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C viruses. Viral hepatitis of any type means liver function is compromised and the organ is less able to perform critical duties like storing nutrients, removing waste from the body, extracting expended cells from the blood, filtering and processing chemicals, and bile production. Failure to do these effectively means the disease results in worsening overall health, and viral hepatitis is contagious. It can be spread from one person to another.

What Causes Viral Hepatitis?

Hepatitis A is caused when a person is exposed to contaminated food or drink, or they come into contact with another individual who already has the disease. Hepatitis B is contracted when a person comes into contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. Hepatitis C is the result of exposure to the HCV virus, which is possible by a number of means and makes Hepatitis C the most likely of all viral hepatitis infections. 

Viral Hepatitis Symptoms

Viral hepatitis symptoms will vary based on the type of hepatitis disease, with possible ones being fever, joint pain, diarrhea (hep A), dark urine, clay-colored stools, appetite loss, nausea, stomach pain, tiredness, vomiting, or yellowed eyes or skin (jaundice). For untreated hepatitis C there is the possibility of liver damage or scarring, or liver cancer. Doctors will stress that hepatitis symptoms are often slow to present themselves, and infected individual may be unaware of having the disease when it’s in the early stages.

Viral Hepatitis Treatment

Hepatitis A is much easier to recover from completely, and treatment for Hep A usually involves getting rest, improving diet, and increasing fluid intake. In most instances Hep B treatment involves the same protocol, but medication use is a possibility for chronic hepatitis B. The standard approach for viral hepatitis treatment when a person has Hep C is an 8-12 week course of treatment with medications like Sovaldi or Epclusa. Hepatitis C needs to be treated promptly because of the risk of developing chronic liver disease.