Viral hepatitis is a type of an inflammation of the liver that is caused due to the viral infection. While some people experience chronic case of viral hepatitis, some may experience it in acute form. There are 5 major forms of viral hepatitis and they are Hepatitis B, Hepatitis D, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis E.
Viral Hepatitis can be caused due to many other types of viruses and some of them are Yellow fever, Herpes Simplex, Epstein Barr Virus and Cytomegalovirus. The following are some of the major and most important facts to know about viral hepatitis.
The following are the 5 forms of Viral Hepatitis and their Explanation:
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a kind of a viral hepatitis which is derived from an infection of Hepatitis A Virus or HAV. Hepatitis A is most commonly caused in the case when a person consumes any sort of food or liquid that had been contaminated by feces.
Hepatitis B
This category of viral hepatitis is caused by an infection of Hepatitis B Virus or HBV. Hepatitis B is most commonly caused when a person comes in contact with infectious bodily fluids like semen, saliva and Blood. It can also be transmitted through punctured wounds. Some risk factors associated with Hepatitis B are sex with a partner who has been infected, use of injection drug, sharing razors with a person who has been infected.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is the third category of viral hepatitis which is transmitted by direct contact with bodily fluids that are infected. Some examples of these bodily fluids are sexual contact and use of injected drugs. This is the most common type of viral hepatitis in USA and is caused by an infection of Hepatitis C Virus or HCV.
Hepatitis D
This form of Hepatitis is a serious kind of a liver disease which is also known as Delta Hepatitis. The cause of this form of viral hepatitis is Hepatitis D Virus or HDV. Delta Hepatitis is caused when a person comes in direct contact with infected blood or also through punctured wounds. This is one of the rarest forms of Hepatitis and is often resulted in conjunction with Hepatitis B.
Hepatitis E
This form of viral hepatitis is caused due to Hepatitis E Virus or HEV. This is basically a waterborne disease which most commonly occurs in those areas that have poor facilities of sanitation. It gets resulted by ingestion of fecal matter. This form of hepatitis is most common in Asian regions, Middle Eastern countries, Central America and Africa.
Symptoms of Viral Hepatitis:
The following are some of the most common signs and symptoms of viral hepatitis:
- Flu like symptoms
- Fatigue, tiredness
- Occurrence of dark colored urine
- Pain in the abdominal region
- Weight loss that is unexplained
- Pale colored stool
- Loss of appetite
- Skin and eyes turning yellow in color
These are the symptoms in the case of acute viral hepatitis but in the case of Hepatitis B and C, which are the chronic Hepatitis categories, the symptoms do not occur at the beginning.
Photo Credit By: healthdirect.gov.au
