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What
Is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis is a disease of the liver that
is often caused by a virus. Hepatitis simply
means inflammation of the liver. There are several different kinds
of hepatitis caused by different hepatitis viruses. In each case,
the virus, once inside the body, begins to live in the liver cells,
interferes with the cells’ normal activities, and then uses the
cells to make more of the virus.
Many people who get hepatitis B or C have no recognizable
signs or symptoms. You may feel and appear perfectly healthy, yet
still be infected with the disease and infect others. The
most common symptom of hepatitis
is tiredness, or fatigue. Some people experience flu-like symptoms,
such as loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, fever, weakness,
tiredness, and mild stomach pain. Less common symptoms are dark
urine and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice). The only way
these viruses can be positively identified is through blood
tests.
Different hepatitis viruses are spread in different ways, as explained
in the section, How Hepatitis Is
Spread. If you suspect that you have hepatitis or think
you have been in contact with an infected person or a contaminated
object, consult your doctor as soon as possible.
Consequences of Hepatitis
Chronic hepatitis B and C are the most serious forms of
hepatitis. (A disease is considered "chronic" if it lasts
longer than 6 months.) Both forms of hepatitis pose risks of long-term
medical complications, especially if they go untreated.
People with chronic hepatitis B and C are at increased risk of permanent
liver damage or liver cancer. A small proportion of people with
chronic hepatitis will develop liver damage that is serious enough
to require liver transplantation.
About Viruses
Hepatitis viruses, like all viruses, are tiny invaders (called
"microorganisms") that enter cells, interfere with the
cells’ normal activities, and use the cells to make more virus.
Not all viruses can enter all cells. The hepatitis viruses, for
example, mainly infect liver cells.
Unlike bacteria, viruses cannot be treated with antibiotics. Because
the virus lives in the cell and uses it to reproduce more virus,
most drugs that kill the virus will harm the cell, too.
While it has been difficult to find treatments for viruses, there
are vaccines, or preventive drugs, that protect against infection
by some viral diseases, such as hepatitis B, the flu, and polio.
An example of a viral treatment for hepatitis is the combination
of the drugs alpha interferon and ribavirin. This treatment is called
REBETRON™ Combination Therapy
containing REBETOL® (Ribavirin,
USP) Capsules and INTRON®
A (Interferon alfa-2b, recombinant) Injection.
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