Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. The different types of hepatitis are caused by different agents, but they all produce inflammation of the liver. Viral hepatitis refers to several common contagious diseases caused by viruses that attack the liver. Acute viral hepatitis is a syndrome characterized by loss of appetite, malaise, nausea, low-grade fever, tender enlarged liver, and an increase in liver enzymes. Toxic hepatitis is a deterioration of liver cells caused by chemicals, alcohol, drugs, and industrial compounds.
Alcohol abuse is a common cause of toxic liver damage.
You can be infected with hepatitis B directly, through infected blood or body fluids, or indirectly, by coming into contact with surfaces or objects contaminated with the hepatitis B virus. When symptoms occur, they may appear one to six months after exposure to the virus. An infected person can begin infecting others four to six weeks before symptoms appear and can continue affecting others long after symptoms subside. The after-effects of hepatitis B can last for quite a while, and you could feel lousy for weeks or months. This means they are infectious for life and run a risk of developing serious long-term liver diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.