Health Pages
Hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver and Hepatitis is also the name of a family of viral infections that affect the liver. There are five main types of viral hepatitis: type A, B, C, D, and E, but the most common types are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.
Although hepatitis has always been regarded as a liver disease, recent research has shown that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects a number of other areas of the body. These can include the digestive system, the immune system, the lymphatic system, and the brain.
Blood tests can determine whether you have viral hepatitis, and if so, which kind.
The most common cause of hepatitis worldwide are viruses. Other causes include heavy alcohol use, certain medications, toxins, other infections, autoimmune diseases, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Learn more about hepatitis.
Did You Know?
"I want people who have received a diagnosis of Hepatitis C to know that they didn't just receive a death sentence. They do have options, even if the person who gave them their diagnosis isn't aware of all of them. The path they choose doesn't have to be one of desperation."
~Melody Beattie, American writer