Disease of the liver causing inflammation. Symptoms include an enlarged liver, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dark urine.

Inflammation of the liver and liver disease involving degenerative or necrotic alterations of hepatocytes.

Inflammation of the liver.

Inflammation of the liver; usually from a viral infection, but sometimes from toxic agents.

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Inflammation is swelling that happens when tissues of the body are injured or infected. It can damage your liver. This swelling and damage can affect how well your liver functions. Hepatitis can be an acute (short-term) infection or a chronic (long-term) infection. Some types of hepatitis cause only acute infections. Other types can cause both acute and chronic infections. There are different types of hepatitis, with different causes: Viral hepatitis is the most common type. It is caused by one of several viruses -- hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E. In the United States, A, B, and C are the most common.; Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by heavy alcohol use; Toxic hepatitis can be caused by certain poisons, chemicals, medicines, or supplements; Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic type in which your body's immune system attacks your liver. The cause is not known, but genetics and your environment may play a role. Hepatitis A and hepatitis E usually spread through contact with food or water that was contaminated with an infected person's stool. You can also get hepatitis E by eating undercooked pork, deer, or shellfish. Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatitis D spread through contact with the blood of someone who has the disease. Hepatitis B and D may also spread through contact with other body fluids. This can happen in many ways, such as sharing drug needles or having unprotected sex. The risks are different for the different types of hepatitis. For example, with most of the viral types, your risk is higher if you have unprotected sex. People who drink a lot over long periods of time are at risk for alcoholic hepatitis. Some people with hepatitis do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected. If you do have symptoms, they may include: Fever; Fatigue; Loss of appetite; Nausea and/or vomiting; Abdominal pain; Dark urine; Clay-colored bowel movements; Joint pain; Jaundice, yellowing of your skin and eyes. If you have an acute infection, your symptoms can start anywhere between 2 weeks to 6 months after you got infected. If you have a chronic infection, you may not have symptoms until many years later. Chronic hepatitis can lead to complications such as cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver failure, and liver cancer. Early diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis may prevent these complications. To diagnose hepatitis, your health care provider: Will ask about your symptoms and medical history; Will do a physical exam; Will likely do blood tests, including tests for viral hepatitis; Might do imaging tests, such as an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI; May need to do a liver biopsy to get a clear diagnosis and check for liver damage. Treatment for hepatitis depends on which type you have and whether it is acute or chronic. Acute viral hepatitis often goes away on its own. To feel better, you may just need to rest and get enough fluids. But in some cases, it may be more serious. You might even need treatment in a hospital. There are different medicines to treat the different chronic types of hepatitis. Possible other treatments may include surgery and other medical procedures. People who have alcoholic hepatitis need to stop drinking. If your chronic hepatitis leads to liver failure or liver cancer, you may need a liver transplant. Can...

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Most cases of acute hepatitis caused by a virus (acute viral hepatitis) resolve on their own, but some progress to chronic hepatitis.

Hepatitis, inflammation of the liver that results from a variety of causes, both infectious and noninfectious. Infectious agents that cause hepatitis include viruses and parasites. Noninfectious causes include certain drugs and toxic agents. In some instances hepatitis results from an autoimmune...