Hepatitis Summary Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps your body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Viruses cause most cases of hepatitis. The type of hepatitis is named for the virus that causes it; for example, hepatitis A, hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Drug or alcohol use can also cause hepatitis. In other cases, your body mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the liver. Some people who have hepatitis have no symptoms. Others may have Loss of appetite Nausea and vomiting Diarrhea Dark-colored urine and pale bowel movements Stomach pain Jaundice, yellowing of skin and eyes Some forms of hepatitis are mild, and others can be serious. Some can lead to scarring, called cirrhosis, or to liver cancer. Sometimes hepatitis goes away by itself. If it does not, it can be treated with drugs. Sometimes hepatitis lasts a lifetime. Vaccines can help prevent some viral forms. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Encyclopedia 5′-nucleotidase Alpha fetoprotein Anti-smooth muscle antibody Antithyroid microsomal antibody Bloodborne pathogens Delta agent (Hepatitis D) Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) blood test Hepatocerebral degeneration Leucine aminopeptidase – urine Leucine aminopeptidase blood test Liver biopsy Related Issues Alcohol-Related Liver Disease American Liver Foundation Hepatitis A, B, and C: Learn the Differences Immunization Action Coalition HIV and Viral Hepatitis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travelers’ Health: Hepatitis E Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Specifics Alcoholic Hepatitis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Autoimmune Hepatitis National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Hepatitis E World Health Organization Toxic Hepatitis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Diagnosis and Tests ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase) Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Liver Biopsy National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Liver Panel American Association for Clinical Chemistry Find an Expert American Liver Foundation American Liver Foundation Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Hepatitis Foundation International Hepatitis Foundation International National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Array Autoimmune hepatitis Drug-induced hepatitis Hepatitis Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Hepatitis National Institutes of Health NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Dangers of Hepatitis: What You Should Know from A to E Hepatitis Can Strike Anyone Hepatitis: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention Children Hepatitis American Academy of Pediatrics Hepatitis Nemours Foundation Hepatitis (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Teenagers Hepatitis Nemours Foundation Start Here Hepatitis Information for the Public Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Viral Hepatitis Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Viral Hepatitis: A through E and Beyond National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases What Is Hepatitis? World Health Organization Health Check Tools Hepatitis Risk Assessment Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Living With Living with Hepatitis Hepatitis Foundation International Statistics and Research NCHHSTP Atlas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention State Profiles: HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prevention and Risk Factors Protect Yourself from Hepatitis National Institutes of Health Journal Articles Hepatitis Patient Handouts Viral Hepatitis: A through E and Beyond National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Men Viral Hepatitis: Information for Gay and Bisexual Men Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
