Symptoms, Causes of Hepatitis:

Hepatitis is a condition that involves an inflammation of the liver. There are several different types of hepatitis, which are in turn, caused by several different reasons. The viral form of hepatitis is the most common form and also the most infectious. These include hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. Each one of these five viruses can bring about the disease, along with symptoms that could last for several weeks. An individual may at times take months to even a year to feel healthy and fit again. The symptoms of hepatitis will vary depending on what the cause of the illness are, and to what extent the liver has been damaged. In some mild cases, a lot of people may not display any particular symptoms at all or they may develop basic flu like symptoms, such as a loss of appetite, fever, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, tiredness and muscles aches. In severe cases however, the symptoms can be far graver. This is because the chemicals that are present in the liver begin to build up in the blood.

Some of these symptoms include: a bitter acrid taste in the mouth, bad breath, a yellowish hue to the skin as well as the eyes, tenderness or pain in the area around the liver, light or gray color to the stool and dark colored urine. Of the 5 types, hepatitis A and E are caused by the ingestion of either contaminated water or food. The other three types (B, C and D), are caused due to a parenteral contact with the infected body fluids. Examples of this would be blood transfusions, sharing of needles or certain medical procedures that are performed using equipment that is contaminated.

However, hepatitis B can also be transmitted through sexual contact. In fact this is the most common manner in which Hepatitis B is contracted. When a person suffers from Hepatitis B or HBV, the virus is present not only in the blood, but also in the semen, menstrual blood and vaginal fluids. Thus any form of sex i.e. vaginal, anal or oral can transmit the disease easily. Infected fluids entering the eyes, nose and mouth, during sexual activity, can also lead to an infection. The most effective way to protect oneself from this virus (HBV) is to get vaccinated. Other methods of prevention could include the use of condoms; however they are not always 100 percent effective in preventing the spread of this virus.