Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Viral HepatitisVaccination AvailabilityChronic SymptomsPrognosisNon-Viral Types of HepatitisLiving Well With Hepatitis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Viral Hepatitis
Vaccination Availability
Chronic Symptoms
Prognosis
Non-Viral Types of Hepatitis
Living Well With Hepatitis
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Comparing Types of Viral Hepatitis
The types of viral hepatitis include:
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is:
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is:
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is:
Hepatitis D
Hepatitis D is:
Hepatitis E
Hepatitis E is:
Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C are the most common types of viral hepatitis in the United States.
Vaccinations are available for the prevention of hepatitis A and B but not types C, D, or E. There is also a combination vaccine for the prevention of hepatitis A and B.
Hepatitis A Vaccine
The hepatitis A vaccine is 94% to 100% effective in preventing the disease. It protects you within two to four weeks after your first immunization. The second injection, administered at least six months after your first dose, provides long-term protection.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that the hepatitis A vaccine be administered to the following groups:
All children:
Infants 6 months through 11 months old traveling outside the United States:
People in the following groups not previously immunized against hepatitis A during the recommended period should be vaccinated as soon as possible:
Hepatitis B Vaccine
The hepatitis B vaccine offers 80% to 100% protection against infection from HBV. It is included in the routine vaccine schedule for all people in the United States. This vaccine can be given alone or as part of a combination vaccine (a vaccine that combines more than one vaccine so they can be given in one injection).
Hepatitis B also protects against future hepatitis D infection since hepatitis D occurs only in people who are infected with hepatitis B.
The CDC recommends the hepatitis B vaccine for the following groups:
Adults who need the hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines may benefit from a combination vaccine called Twinrix. It is administered as one vaccine in three doses over six months. Consult your healthcare provider to determine whether this type of vaccine is right for you.
A Word From Verywell
—JAY N. YEPURI, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Chronic hepatitis symptoms occur when your liver remains inflamed for at least six months and can’t clear the hepatitis virus from your body. It can damage or even destroy liver cells. This can prevent your body from processing essential nutrients and clearing toxins, increasing your risk ofcirrhosis(scarring of your liver) andliver cancer.
Chronic symptoms are most commonly related to hepatitis B or hepatitis C. These symptoms typically develop slowly and may not be noticeable until the condition progresses and cirrhosis occurs.
Early-stage chronic symptoms are usually subtle and may be overlooked or attributed to an unrelated condition. Chronic symptoms include the following:
Chronic symptoms can become more profound once chronic hepatitis has progressed and your liver is permanently scarred. Symptoms at this stage can include:
Your prognosis with viral hepatitis depends on the type of virus you have. Additional factors such as your age and other chronic conditions can also impact your prognosis.
There is no treatment for hepatitis A. However, the prognosis for someone with hepatitis A is typically excellent. The disease does not cause chronic hepatitis or lasting damage after recovery.
Most people with hepatitis A recover within three months. Almost everyone with this disease gets better within six months. If you have hepatitis A, you become immune to hepatitis A virus for life.
Acute hepatitis B typically resolves within two to three weeks. For most people, it takes about four to six months for the liver to return to normal.
Most people, especially those who get infected with hepatitis B in adulthood, can combat the disease without treatment. Only a small number of adults who get hepatitis B develop the chronic disease.
The younger you are at the time of a hepatitis B infection, the more likely you are to develop the chronic condition. Almost all newborns and about 50% of children infected with hepatitis B develop the chronic condition. This can lead to serious health problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death.
About 30% of people infected with HCV clear the virus within six months of infection without treatment. However, the remaining 70% develop chronic HCV infection. Between 15% and 30% of people with chronic untreated hepatitis C will develop cirrhosis within 20 years. Having it also increases your risk of liver cancer.
However, some people don’t respond to initial treatment and need re-treatment with a different class of medicine. You can also become reinfected or infected with a different genotype.
Hepatitis D is considered a satellite virus since it always occurs as a coinfection with HBV. About 5% of people infected with HBV are coinfected with HDV.
Most people can fight off and recover from acute hepatitis D and hepatitis B infections and the viruses go away. However, less than 5% of people with this combination of infections develop chronic infections that do not resolve.
Hepatitis D can cause severe symptoms and serious illness that can lead to life-long liver damage and even death. When combined with HBV, chronic HDV generally causes a more aggressive and rapid progression of liver disease than chronic HBV infection alone.
The prognosis for most people with hepatitis E is generally very good. Most people with HEV recover completely. The overall case-fatality rate of hepatitis E is 1%.
However, hepatitis E can be a serious illness with mortality reaching 10% to 30% among pregnant women in their third trimester. It can also pose serious health problems for people with preexisting liver disease. Chronic cases and health problems also occur when organ transplant recipients onimmunosuppressive therapyare infected with hepatitis E.
Hepatitis Risk in PregnancyDuring pregnancy, all types of viral hepatitis can have significant consequences for mothers and their infants. The great risk for maternal health and the health of the fetus occurs with acute hepatitis A or hepatitis E infection during pregnancy.The primary risks for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis D virus are related to the severity of underlying liver disease in the mother and the risk of mother-to-child transmission. Babies infected with the hepatitis B virus are more likely to have chronic hepatitis B.
Hepatitis Risk in Pregnancy
During pregnancy, all types of viral hepatitis can have significant consequences for mothers and their infants. The great risk for maternal health and the health of the fetus occurs with acute hepatitis A or hepatitis E infection during pregnancy.The primary risks for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis D virus are related to the severity of underlying liver disease in the mother and the risk of mother-to-child transmission. Babies infected with the hepatitis B virus are more likely to have chronic hepatitis B.
During pregnancy, all types of viral hepatitis can have significant consequences for mothers and their infants. The great risk for maternal health and the health of the fetus occurs with acute hepatitis A or hepatitis E infection during pregnancy.
The primary risks for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis D virus are related to the severity of underlying liver disease in the mother and the risk of mother-to-child transmission. Babies infected with the hepatitis B virus are more likely to have chronic hepatitis B.
Comparing Nonviral Types of Hepatitis
Nonalcoholic hepatitis: Nonalcoholic hepatitis is associated withmetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease(MASLD, formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD). This disease is linked to the following conditions:
Autoimmune hepatitis:Autoimmune hepatitisis a long-term or chronic condition in which your body’simmune systemattacks your liver cells, causing redness, inflammation, and liver damage. There are two types of autoimmune hepatitis:
Common drugs that cause this type of hepatitis include:
Metabolic disorder disease: Metabolic liver disease is a group of inherited and acquired disorders that affect your liver’s ability to process and metabolize nutrients. This can result in the accumulation of harmful substances that cause liver inflammation and damage. Treatment involves managing the underlying conditions, along with medications or other treatments as needed.
The most common metabolic diseases include:
It can be a complication of the following conditions:
What Exacerbates Hepatitis?The following characteristics or risk factors can increase your risk of hepatitis and exacerbate the disease if you become infected:Being born outside the United StatesUsing or injecting drugsBeing a man who has sex with menDiabetesHepatitis BHIV/AIDSHomelessnessWorking in the healthcare industry
What Exacerbates Hepatitis?
The following characteristics or risk factors can increase your risk of hepatitis and exacerbate the disease if you become infected:Being born outside the United StatesUsing or injecting drugsBeing a man who has sex with menDiabetesHepatitis BHIV/AIDSHomelessnessWorking in the healthcare industry
The following characteristics or risk factors can increase your risk of hepatitis and exacerbate the disease if you become infected:
Living well with chronic hepatitis is possible if you follow the steps necessary to protect your liver and manage your symptoms. Since hepatitis can affect your physical and emotional well-being, guarding your liver health and slowing the progression of hepatitis requires a multipronged approach.
These strategies can help you protect your liver health and slow disease progression:
In addition to protecting the health of your liver, living well with hepatitis also requires managing the emotional aspects of the disease. Living with chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C can make you feel depressed and isolated.
The following strategies can help you manage the overwhelming emotional aspects of chronic hepatitis:
Protecting Others When You Have HepatitisIf you have chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C, take the following precautions to prevent those around you from becoming infected:Have household members and sexual partners tested and vaccinated if they are not infected.Hepatitis B can be spread through direct contact with blood, unprotected sex, and contact with infected bodily fluids.Use latex or polyurethane condoms to avoid unprotected sex.Don’t share personal items like razors or needles.Keep all cuts and open sores covered.Clean all blood spills with black and water.
Protecting Others When You Have Hepatitis
If you have chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C, take the following precautions to prevent those around you from becoming infected:Have household members and sexual partners tested and vaccinated if they are not infected.Hepatitis B can be spread through direct contact with blood, unprotected sex, and contact with infected bodily fluids.Use latex or polyurethane condoms to avoid unprotected sex.Don’t share personal items like razors or needles.Keep all cuts and open sores covered.Clean all blood spills with black and water.
If you have chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C, take the following precautions to prevent those around you from becoming infected:
Summary
Hepatitis can occur as an acute or chronic problem. Chronic hepatitis can lead to severe issues like cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer, and a higher mortality risk. Early diagnosis and treatment may help prevent these problems.
Factors such as the mode of transmission and treatment options vary based on the type of virus involved. You can prevent or lower your risk for hepatitis A and B with vaccines. Taking certain safeguards can also reduce your risk of getting infected.
Vaccination against hepatitis A and hepatitis B can protect you from these types. If you think you have been exposed to any type of viral hepatitis or have symptoms of the disease, contact your healthcare provider.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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