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Viral hepatitis

Hepatitis means liver inflammation. Therefore if you are diagnosed with viral hepatitis, it means your liver is inflamed due to a virus. The liver is an important body organ, and being inflamed and swollen means the liver stops it working efficiently. This will lead to the body not being able to digest food, remove poisons or stores energy efficiently. The most common types are viral hepatitis A, B, and C.

Symptoms

Some people with viral hepatitis have no signs of the infection. For other people, these signs might occur:

• Low grade fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Tiredness
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dark-colored urine and pale bowel movements
• Pain in the stomach
• Skin and whites of the eyes turning yellow, also called jaundice

If you have any of these symptoms, please contact Confidential Doctor to arrange an examination and  test.

Diagnosis

Hepatitis A

How you get it: Eating contaminated food or drinking water with faeces, from a person infected with the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It can also be caused by anal-oral contact. Hepatitis A causes swelling of the liver, but it normally causes no permanent damage.

Hepatitis B

How you get it: From contact with a person infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This can occur through having sex with an infected person, from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth, or through sharing needles with an infected person.

In a person with hepatitis B, the liver swells, and liver damage can occur. Most people will get rid of the virus after a few months. Some people are not able to get rid of the virus, which makes the infection chronic, or life-long. This may lead to a scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis, liver failure, and can also lead to liver cancer.

Hepatitis C

How you get it: Most common way of getting hepatitis C virus (HCV) is through sharing injectable drugs with a person infected with the virus. Many people are unaware they have the virus because they don't have symptoms. Most people who are infected with hepatitis C develop a chronic liver infection. This might lead to scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis, liver failure, and can also lead to liver cancer.

All types of viral hepatitis can be diagnosed with a blood test. If you think you need a test, please contact Confidential Doctor.

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