- Low fever
- Malaise (feeling unwell)
- Fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Abdominal discomfort
- Dark urine
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
Hepatitis A is diagnosed with a blood test. The test detects hepatitis A virus antibodies (proteins in the blood that fight disease). These antibodies may be detected for up to six months after the onset of symptoms, but then usually disappear after that time.
There is no cure for hepatitis A. Most people with severe infection will experience short-term illness and then make a full recovery. They are often told to rest for a few weeks and avoid intimate contact with others. Once recovered, a person is immune and will not get hepatitis A again.
Fortunately, complications from hepatitis A are rare and few deaths result from it. Not known to cause chronic infections. However, it can make some people very sick and can easily be prevented through vaccination.
The hepatitis B virus is transmitted through contact with contaminated body fluids such as semen, vaginal secretions and blood. It is most often transmitted through sexual contact, but it can also be contracted when people who inject drugs share needles and other injection equipment. Mothers with hepatitis B can also transmit the virus to their infants at birth.
Hepatitis B is not spread through food, water, shared utensils, hugging, kissing or casual contact. However, some items such as razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers and needles could be a hazard if they are contaminated with blood and should not be shared. The hepatitis B virus can survive outside the body for at least 7 days and is still infectious during this time. Any surfaces contaminated with blood should be cleaned with a solution of 1 part household bleach and 10 parts water.
In some people, hepatitis B will only cause short-term problems (acute) infection that causes mild illness for a few weeks or months. People with an acute infection often have few or no symptoms and will clear the virus on their own without treatment. Once a person clears the infection, they cannot get infected with hepatitis B again.
Not everyone will clear the virus, however, and develop severe long-term (chronic) infection that lasts a lifetime. Chronic hepatitis B infection can cause complications such as cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and even lead to liver cancer.
Hepatitis B is diagnosed with a blood test that detects hepatitis B antibodies in the blood. Blood tests can determine whether a person has acute or chronic hepatitis.
The good news is that hepatitis B can be prevented through vaccination. A person can choose to be vaccinated and no longer have to worry about contracting hepatitis B.
Other ways to prevent hepatitis B infection include using condoms and barrier methods during oral, anal, and vaginal sex.
Hepatitis C is mainly transmitted by direct contact with blood. The most common way currently is the sharing of needles or other injecting equipment during intravenous drug use that have not been properly cleaned between users.
Although uncommon, hepatitis C can be transmitted through vaginal or anal sex. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sexually transmitting sexually transmitted diseases or HIV, having sex with multiple partners, or having rough sex seem to increase a person’s risk of hepatitis C. But again, sexual transmission of hepatitis C is not common.
CDC now recommends a one-time test for hepatitis C all adults (18 years and older) and all pregnant women during each pregnancy.
Hepatitis D is a viral infection of the liver that can only be acquired if a person has active hepatitis B. Hepatitis D is directly related to hepatitis B, particularly chronic hepatitis B infection. Hepatitis B vaccination can protect people from hepatitis D infection.
Hepatitis E is mainly transmitted by contaminated drinking water and is not considered to be sexually transmitted.
