Hepatitis: MedlinePlus ► NEW TOPIC PAGE

NEW TOPIC PAGE ►

Hepatitis: MedlinePlus





A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

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.

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• 5'-nucleotidase
• Alpha fetoprotein
• Anti-smooth muscle antibody
• Antithyroid microsomal antibody
• Autoimmune hepatitis
• Bloodborne pathogens
• Delta agent (Hepatitis D)
• Drug-induced hepatitis
• Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase
• Hepatitis
• 
  

  

Related Topics

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Liver Diseases
• Liver Transplantation
• Digestive System
• Infections

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Hepatitis is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Languages

• Arabic (العربية)
• Chinese - Simplified (简体中文)
• Chinese - Traditional (繁體中文)
• French (français)
• Hindi (हिन्दी)
• Japanese (日本語)
• Korean (한국어)
• Russian (Русский)
• Somali (af Soomaali)
• Spanish (español)
• Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)

• Start Here

  • 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)

• Overviews

  • Hepatitis Information for the Public(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • What Is Hepatitis?(World Health Organization)
  • Also available in Spanish

• Diagnosis/Symptoms

  • 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)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Liver Panel(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

• Prevention/Screening

  • Protect Yourself from Hepatitis(National Institutes of Health)

• Disease Management

  • Living with Hepatitis(Hepatitis Foundation International)
  • Return to top

• Specific Conditions

  • 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)
  • Return to top

• Related Issues

  • Alcohol-Related Liver Disease(American Liver Foundation)
  • Hepatitis A, B, and C: Learn the Differences(Immunization Action Coalition) - PDF
  • HIV and Viral Hepatitis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
  • Travelers' Health: Hepatitis E(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Return to top

• Health Check Tools

  • Hepatitis Risk Assessment(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Return to top

• Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Hepatitis(National Institutes of Health)
  • Return to top

• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
  • Article: Acetaminophen safety: be cautious but not afraid. Read labels and...
  • Article: Ribavirin for chronic hepatitis E virus infection in transplant recipients.
  • Article: FDA asks physicians to stop prescribing high-dose acetaminophen products.
  • Hepatitis -- see more articles
  • Return to top

• Dictionaries/Glossaries

  • Digestive Diseases Dictionary(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Organizations

  • American Liver Foundation
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Hepatitis Foundation International
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
  • Return to top

• Statistics

  • NCHHSTP Atlas(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • State Profiles: HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Return to top

• MedlinePlus Magazine

  • Dangers of Hepatitis: What You Should Know from A to E
  • Hepatitis Can Strike Anyone
  • Hepatitis: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
  • Return to top

• Children

  • Hepatitis(American Academy of Pediatrics)
  • Hepatitis(Nemours Foundation)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Hepatitis (For Parents)(Nemours Foundation)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Teenagers

  • Hepatitis(Nemours Foundation)
  • Return to top

• Men

  • Viral Hepatitis: Information for Gay and Bisexual Men(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
  • Return to top

• Patient Handouts

  • Anti-smooth muscle antibody
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Autoimmune hepatitis
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Bloodborne pathogens
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Delta agent (Hepatitis D)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Drug-induced hepatitis
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Hepatitis
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Liver biopsy
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Viral Hepatitis: A through E and Beyond(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Return to top