1. What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. There are two major forms: acute and chronic. Acute hepatitis typically makes affected persons feel sick, as if they have the flu, often with loss of appetite and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting. In many cases, acute hepatitis turns urine brown, makes stools pale, and colors the skin and eyes yellow. Most affected individuals eventually recover completely. Chronic hepatitis usually causes no symptoms, or causes only loss of energy and tiredness; most people dont know that they have it. In some people, chronic hepatitis can gradually damage the liver and, after many years, cause it to fail.
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2. What other tests are used to evaluate liver disorders?
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3. Who is at risk for a liver disorder?
While many things could harm the liver, the major causes of
liver disease are infection by
viruses that target the liver and by drinking too much alcohol. In rare cases, some medicines can damage the liver; your doctor may suggest testing your liver from time to time if you are taking one of these. Some diseases that are inherited from your parents can occasionally damage the liver.
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4. What signs should make me aware of a liver disorder?
In many cases, liver disease is “silent.” When the liver is damaged rapidly (a disease called acute
hepatitis), the skin and the whites of the eyes often turn yellow, the urine becomes brown, and bowel movements lose their color. In its late stages, liver disease may produce swelling of the abdomen, vomiting of blood, confusion, and easy bruising.
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