Hepatitis

The term hepatitis is very broad, and it means inflammation (hot, swollen or pain) of the liver. Often times your doctor may have found out that you have a liver problem through routine blood tests.

Symptoms of hepatitis can include:

  • Abdominal pain in the right upper part
  • Fever
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin)
  • Dark urine
  • Fatigue
  • Confusion

    • Common irritants that can cause hepatitis include:

  • Alcohol
  • Excessive fat in the liver (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis)
  • Medications such as antibiotics
  • Viruses such as hepatitis A, B, C, D, E
  • Autoimmune (the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking its healthy cells).

    • It is very important that we sit down and talk about all the risk factors that may be causing your liver problem, as sometimes there may be more than one contributing factor. Tests to help diagnose and treat hepatitis may include further blood tests, an ultrasound of the liver, a fibroscan (ultrasound that assesses for the amount of stiffness or scarring within the liver), a CT scan, or a liver biopsy.

    For more information, please click below to view the Hepatitis Australia website


    Hepatitis Australia