What is Hepatitis Disease?

 Understanding Hepatitis Disease: Types & Transmission Methods

Hepatitis is liver inflammation, most often triggered by viral infections.  Although some forms resolve quickly, others can silently lead to severe, long-term liver damage if left undiagnosed.

Other causes include alcohol use, certain medications, toxic substances, and autoimmune disorders. There are five primary hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E.

While they all target the liver, they differ in how they are transmitted, their potential to become chronic, and how they affect people.

Keep reading for better insight.

What are the Types and Transmission Methods of Hepatitis?

The different types of Hepatitis viruses are:

• Hepatitis A and E: These types are usually spread through the fecal oral means, mostly via contaminated food or water. Poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene are the key risk factors. In most healthy individuals, especially younger people, these infections are typically acute and resolve without long-term complications.
• Hepatitis B, C, and D: These viruses are spread through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids. Common modes of transmission include unprotected sex, shared needles, unscreened blood transfusions, and mother-to-child transmission during childbirth. Hepatitis B is highly infectious and can spread even through minimal exposure to infected fluids. Hepatitis D occurs only in individuals already infected with hepatitis B. When both viruses are present, the risk of severe liver damage increases significantly.

Serious long-term liver injury can result from chronic infections with hepatitis B and C. Hepatitis C is a leading contributor to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

What are the Symptoms and Complications of Hepatitis?

Hepatitis symptoms vary depending on the virus type and whether the infection is acute or chronic. Many people, especially those with hepatitis B or C, may experience no symptoms for years until liver damage is advanced.

Symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain, especially in the upper right side
• Dark urine
• Pale stools
• Jaundice (yellowing of  skin and eyes)

Acute hepatitis A and E often cause sudden symptoms and usually resolve without treatment. However, hepatitis E can be severe in pregnant women (20-30% mortality rate in third-trimester pregnancies), sometimes leading to liver failure.

Chronic hepatitis B and C may persist for decades and are major causes of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). Individuals with chronic hepatitis are often diagnosed during routine blood tests or after symptoms of liver complications appear.

How is Hepatitis Diagnosed and Treated?

The hepatitis diagnosis usually starts with blood tests assessing liver enzyme levels and identifying hepatitis virus infection markers, including antibodies, antigens, or viral RNA. Particularly in chronic illnesses, imaging tests such as ultrasound, CT, and liver biopsy may help to evaluate liver damage.

Treatment varies depending on the kind of hepatitis:

• Hepatitis A and E: Usually, hepatitis A and E do not call for antiviral therapy; instead, they heal with rest, hydration, and a good diet underpinned by care.
• Hepatitis B: Chronic hepatitis B is managed using antiviral medications like tenofovir or entecavir. These drugs suppress the virus and slow the liver damage, but they don’t provide a complete cure.
• Hepatitis C: Most patients with hepatitis C can be cured with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) taken for 8 to 12 weeks. Cure rates above 95% arise from timely diagnosis and treatment.
• Hepatitis D: There is currently no specific antiviral treatment for hepatitis D. However, it can be prevented by receiving the hepatitis B vaccine, as the D virus depends on the presence of hepatitis B to replicate.

In advanced liver disease cases, a liver transplant could be the only life-saving choice.

Can Hepatitis Be Prevented?

Yes, many varieties of hepatitis are avoidable:

• Vaccines are available for both hepatitis A and B. The hepatitis B vaccine guards against hepatitis D as well, which depends on hepatitis B for its existence.
• Good personal hygiene, adequate sanitation, and access to clean food and water can help prevent hepatitis A and E.
• Using sterile instruments for medical and cosmetic treatments, avoiding sharing needles, practicing safe sex, and screening blood donations help prevent hepatitis B and C.
• To help lower the risk of transmission to their newborns, pregnant women should be screened and treated as needed.

Early detection and appropriate intervention depend on regular screening, especially in high-risk groups such as healthcare workers or those with a history of injecting drug use.

Global public health remains significantly focused on hepatitis. Though some kinds of hepatitis are short-term and disappear on their own, others can become chronic and cause fatal liver disorders.

Prevention and control depend on knowledge of the transmission routes, symptoms, and treatment choices. Early detection, safe behaviors, and access to efficient treatments all help to significantly lower the worldwide load of hepatitis through vaccination.

At Star Health, we offer coverage for hepatitis-related conditions under our comprehensive health insurance plans. These include hospitalisation, diagnostic tests, and antiviral treatment as part of broader liver disease coverage. All benefits are subject to applicable waiting periods and policy terms outlined in the plan documents.