What Is Hepatitis Types Symptoms Causes & Diet

Hepatitis is a very common liver problem in India

Many people think it is only jaundice but it is not

Hepatitis means inflammation or swelling in liver

Liver becomes weak and cannot work properly

It can happen due to virus and also due to alcohol and poor diet

If treated on time most types of hepatitis get cured

What Is Hepatitis 

Hepatitis means your liver is inflamed

Liver is responsible for cleaning blood and digestion

When virus or toxins attack liver it gets swollen

Then you feel weakness loss of appetite and yellow eyes

In India hepatitis A and E are very common due to water

Hepatitis B and C spread through blood

If ignored for long time it can damage liver badly

What Causes Hepatitis

Main cause is virus

But there are other causes also

Drinking too much alcohol

Eating very oily and junk food daily

Taking too many medicines without doctor advice

Contaminated water and food

Infected blood transfusion

Using infected needle

From mother to child during birth in hepatitis B

What Are the Types of Hepatitis

There are five main types of hepatitis

Hepatitis A

This spreads through dirty water and food

Very common in rainy season

Usually not dangerous and gets cured in few weeks

More common in children

Hepatitis B

This spreads through blood and body fluids

It can stay long in body

If not treated it can become chronic

Vaccine is available for hepatitis B

Hepatitis C

This spreads through infected blood

Mostly no symptoms in starting

If ignored it can cause serious liver damage

Now treatment is available and curable

Hepatitis D

This happens only with hepatitis B

It makes hepatitis B more severe

Not very common but needs attention

Hepatitis E

This spreads through contaminated water

Similar to hepatitis A

More dangerous for pregnant women

Usually gets cured with rest and diet

Symptoms of Hepatitis

Symptoms depend on type but common signs are

Feeling very tired and weak whole day

Loss of appetite

Nausea and vomiting

Pain in upper right side of stomach

Yellow color in eyes and skin which is jaundice

Dark yellow urine

Light color stool

Fever and body ache in starting

If you see yellow eyes with fever you should get LFT test done

Is Hepatitis Contagious

Yes some types are contagious

Hepatitis A and E spread through water and food

If one person in house has it others can get it if hygiene is not maintained

Hepatitis B and C spread through blood and not by touching or eating together

They do not spread by handshake or sharing food

But avoid sharing razor toothbrush and needles

Wash hands properly and drink clean water to prevent A and E

How Is Hepatitis Diagnosed

Doctor will ask for few tests

LFT test which shows SGOT SGPT bilirubin levels

If bilirubin is high it means jaundice

Hepatitis viral markers test like HBsAg for B and Anti HCV for C and IgM for A and E

Ultrasound of liver to check swelling

Sometimes doctor asks for Fibroscan if chronic

Do not self treat only on yellow eyes always get tested

How Long Does Hepatitis Last

It depends on type

Hepatitis A usually lasts two to six weeks

Hepatitis E also lasts four to eight weeks

Hepatitis B acute can last few months but chronic can stay for years

Hepatitis C can stay long if not treated

With proper rest and diet most people recover in one to two months

Weakness may stay for some more weeks after recovery

Is Hepatitis Curable

Yes most hepatitis is curable

Hepatitis A and E get cured on their own with rest and diet

Hepatitis B acute also gets cured but chronic B needs long treatment

Hepatitis C is now curable with new medicines

Early diagnosis makes treatment easy

If you take proper diet and avoid alcohol recovery is faster

What Happens If Hepatitis Is Not Treated

If ignored hepatitis can become serious

Acute can become chronic

Chronic inflammation can cause fibrosis which is liver scarring

Then it can progress to cirrhosis

Liver may fail to work

In some cases long standing B and C can increase risk of liver cancer

So never ignore yellow eyes and weakness

Hepatitis Diet What to Eat for Faster Recovery

Diet is very important in hepatitis

Liver is weak so give light and clean food

Eat more carbs like rice khichdi dalia and boiled potato

Eat dal and light sabzi without much oil

Eat fruits like papaya banana apple and coconut water

Drink enough water and glucose water

Eat low fat curd and buttermilk

Eat small meals four to five times a day

Avoid long fasting

Best foods are

Moong dal khichdi

Curd rice

Boiled vegetables

Fruits

Coconut water

Sugarcane juice fresh and clean

Oats and dalia

Foods to Avoid in Hepatitis

Avoid foods that put load on liver

Avoid alcohol completely even small amount is harmful

Avoid fried food samosa pakora chips burger pizza

Avoid too much oil ghee butter cheese

Avoid maida and bakery items

Avoid non veg and heavy protein in acute stage

Avoid outside street food and dirty water

Avoid too much salt if swelling is there

Avoid self medication and herbal powders without doctor advice

How to Prevent Hepatitis

Prevention is better than cure

Drink only filtered or boiled water

Wash hands before eating

Eat fresh home cooked food

Avoid street food in rainy season

Take hepatitis A and B vaccine

Do not share razor toothbrush and needles

Use safe blood transfusion only

Avoid alcohol

When to See a Doctor

You should meet doctor if

You have yellow eyes and dark urine for more than two days

You have severe pain in stomach

You have vomiting and not able to eat

You feel too much weakness and confusion

Your LFT shows very high bilirubin

If pregnant woman gets jaundice meet doctor immediately

If you have hepatitis B or C family history get tested

Frequently Asked Questions

Is hepatitis dangerous ?

Acute A and E usually not dangerous if treated on time but B and C can become dangerous if ignored and become chronic

What foods should be avoided in hepatitis ?

Avoid alcohol fried food junk food maida and too much oil and outside food

How long does hepatitis take to recover ?

Most A and E recover in four to eight weeks B and C may take longer with treatment

Can I eat eggs and milk in hepatitis?

In acute stage avoid eggs and heavy milk take low fat curd and buttermilk after recovery you can eat egg white and low fat milk as per doctor advice

Is hepatitis same as jaundice ?

Jaundice is a symptom yellow eyes hepatitis is the cause swelling in liver due to which jaundice happens

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