Hepatitis

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver. The liver can become inflamed by numerous insults.

• Exposure to glues and solvents, such as carbon tetrachloride.
• Exposure to toxins- one example is the toxins present in some mushrooms.
• Alcohol in excess of the ability of the liver to detoxify it.
• Viruses including
  • Mononucleosis
  • Herpes simplex
  • Yellow fever
  • German measles
  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C
  • Hepatitis D
  • Hepatitis E
  • Cytomegalovirus
• Bacteria such as syphilis or gonorrhea
• Drugs, including acetaminophen (Tylenol) and many others
• Systemic illness such as Crohn's disease
• An imbalanced immune system (autoimmune hepatitis)

Some of these are resolved spontaneously. Mononucleosis hepatitis, for example, rarely causes problems and often is not even recognized. Hepatitis A can be contracted from food or water, can make a person fairly sick for a couple of months, and usually resolves completely. Hepatitis B is transmitted by bodily fluids, may or may not cause symptoms, and over 90% of the time resolves spontaneously. However, 10% of the time it can become chronic.

Aside from the causes listed above, some people may have a low-grade hepatitis much of their lives, presumably from environmental toxins, excess calories, or unknown reasons.  Often this seems to cause no problems.