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A 24-year-old member asked:

What is hepatitis?

9 doctor answers18 doctors weighed in
Dr. Lonna Larsh
Family Medicine 32 years experience
Liver inflammation: Usually when people talk about hepatitis, they mean one of the infections in the liver, but it can mean inflammation from other causes as well (e.g.Alcohol). Hepatitis a is the kind you get from contaminated food. It causes an acute illness that can last weeks. Hepatitis b and c are from contaminated blood (in the same way as hiv/aids). Both, but especially c can cause chronic liver problems.
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Dr. Foster Carr
General Practice 35 years experience
Liver inflammation: Add an itis to anything and it means inflammation. Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver and can be caused by viruses (such as hep a, hep b, hep c, and ebv), alcohol, medications, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (nash), autoimmune diseases, toxins, and tumors.
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Dr. Robert Kwok
Pediatrics 35 years experience
Liver inflammation: Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, caused by infectious microbes (viruses, parasites, etc...) or toxic substances (alcohol, medications, autoimmune antibodies, etc...) and has symptoms which include jaundice, fever, liver enlargement, and abdominal pain.
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Dr. Jamie Berkes
Hepatology 25 years experience
?: Need more information. The definition of hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. It can be caused from many things including infections, medications, alcohol, autoimmune disorders, metabolic conditions, and genetic defects.
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Dr. Rick Kirschner
Dr. Rick Kirschneranswered
42 years experience
Depends on type: Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Viral hepatitis is caused by a few specific viruses, types a, b, c, d, e, f (not confirmed), and g. The most common hepatitis viruses are types a, b, and c. A, by oral secretions and stool. B, sexual conduct, blood (tattooing, piercing, transfusions). C, sharing needles, transfusions. D, same as b. Up to 1/3 of cases have unknown source.
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Dr. John Fung
General Surgery 41 years experience
Variety of reasons: Hepatitis simply means inflammation of the liver and is reflected by elevated liver function tests (ast and alt) - it can be the result of many things - the most common are: alcohol, fatty liver, viral hepatitis (hepatitis b and hepatitis c), autoimmune hepatitis, and drug induced hepatitis. Treatment varies by etiology, so it is critical to determine the cause - see you physician to have tests.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Larry Lutwick
Infectious Disease 51 years experience
Liver inflammation: Which can be related to one of the several hepatitis viruses such as a, b, c or e, or can be due to a toxic such as alcohol or as a reaction to a medication.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Ivelisse Rivera-Godreau
Family Medicine 26 years experience
Liver inflammation..: It is a liver inflammation which could be caused by various reasons. Viral hepatitis could be caused by types A,B, C, D, E, the most common are the first three. Also frequent alcohol intake, medications, autoimmune, among others.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Robert Kwok
Pediatrics 35 years experience
A virus: Hepatitis A is a virus that can infect the liver but does not stay around after the infection is cleared (meaning that patients don't become chronic carriers). It is more common in developing countries and third world countries than here in the United States. The virus is in human sewage, so places where there is not a good sewage system will have hepatitis A problems. Everyone can get vaccinated.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Similar questions

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A 23-year-old male asked:

How to cure hepatitis?

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Dr. Pavel Conovalciuc
Family Medicine 25 years experience
Hepatitis: It depends on what type of hepatitis you have (b or c), genotype, previous trials, your health status and many other determinants.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 26-year-old female asked:

What is symtoms of hepatitis?

1 doctor answer3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Robert Kwok
Pediatrics 35 years experience
Hepatitis causes...: Hepatitis (liver infection / inflammation) causes: fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, decreased appetite, low-grade fever, darker urine, muscle aches, jaundice (yellow skin), etc... A person with hepatitis may be contagious, so a doctor has to do an evaluation and some tests.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
NY
A member asked:

What's hepatitis disease?

1 doctor answer2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Chirag Vasa
Infectious Disease 29 years experience
Liver: It is inflammation or infection of liver. Caused by viral, bacterial, parasite, autoimmune or drug related.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 31-year-old member asked:

Who should be tested for hepatitis?

2 doctor answers4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Arthur Heller
Gastroenterology 45 years experience
Exposure risk: Exposed to known case. Born in endemic region, e.g. Asia, africa, middle east, caribbean; history IV drug , nasal drug use; transfusion before 1993; men who have had sex with men, women who have had sex with men who have had sex with men; "homemade" tattoos; tainted food/water; needle stick hep a: fecal/oral route, bad water/food hep c: blood/drug use, sex exposure less hep b : blood/drug/birth.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:

Whar is hepatitis?

1 doctor answer4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Michael Ein
Infectious Disease 50 years experience
Inflamation of liver: Hepatitis or liver inflamation has many causes. The most common are alcoholic hepatitis, viral hepatitis caused by hepatitis a, b, or c virus and drug induced hepatitis.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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Last updated Oct 18, 2016

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