Dealing With Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a health condition characterized by an inflammation of the liver due to the inflammatory cells that dwell on the tissue of the organ. Hepatitis can heal on its own, however it can also progress into a more serious condition, such as fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Common symptoms of hepatitis are malaise and jaundice anorexia, although there are some instances that the condition do not show any or has limited symptoms. The condition becomes acute when it persists for less than six months and it becomes chronic when it last longer. Majority of the hepatitis cases worldwide are caused by a group of viruses referred to as the hepatitis viruses, however toxins, like alcohol and certain plants and medication, autoimmune conditions and other forms of infections.

Initial signs of hepatitis are flu-like symptoms which are frequent among acute viral infections. It may also involve joint and muscle aches, nausea, headache, malaise and diarrhea. Symptoms of hepatitis in acute conditions include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the eyes), dark urine, abdominal discomfort, and loss of appetite. Physical symptoms are minimal, except for jaundice and the swelling of the liver (hepatomegaly). There are also cases where enlargement of the lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) and enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly) are experienced.

Acute viral hepatitis does not usually reveal any symptoms among the cases of the younger people. Symptoms normally manifest after 7 to 10 days within the convalescent stage. The whole illness would last for 2 to 6 weeks. People suffering from acute hepatitis have a slight chance of developing acute liver failure. This condition can be life-threatening and may require liver transplant.

Chronic cases of hepatitis normally reveal nonspecific type of symptoms. This may involve weakness, tiredness, malaise and sometimes don't have any symptoms at all. The condition leads to extensive scarring and damage of the liver (cirrhosis), swelling of the legs (peripheral edema), fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites), easy bleeding and bruising tendencies, and loss of weight. Severe complications can cause life-threatening condictions such as coma and confusion (encephalopathy), kidney dysfunction (hepatorenal syndrome), and enlargement of the veins at the esophagus wall (esophageal varices).

Hepatitis is commonly determined on blood analysis taken for health screening procedures or for identifying nonspecific types of symptoms. A basic physical examination can reveal the enlargement of the liver. The presence of jaundice is an indication that one is suffering from an advance form of liver damage.

As soon as you notice some hepatitis-like symptoms in your body, immediately contact a medical professional and arrange for a private hepatitis testing. This is indeed one of the most appropriate and smartest ways to address the condition. Private hepatitis testing clinics offer credible tests and treatments of the condition and remain to be the best places to learn proper ways to manage and diagnose the condition. Moreover, the best thing about these private hepatitis testing clinics is that they ensure 100% confidentiality and deliver fast test results. Clinics like these do not only test for hepatitis but other types of STDs as well. So, whenever you sense that you have hepatitis or other forms of STDs for that matter, take the condition seriously and have yourself tested.

Symptoms of Hepatitis - they are hard to determine so you should be wary. Learn more about the condition today.