Geetanjali Mishra
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Medically Verified By: Dr Vineet Gupta
Hepatitis types symptoms and causes
People worldwide are living unknowingly with a ticking clock inside them that is running every day - silent hepatitis. Data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that around 300 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B and C globally in 2022. Out of these cases, nearly 80% remain undiagnosed in their early stages. This means that by the time patients start experiencing severe symptoms and seek medical treatment, the viruses may have been silently damaging the liver for three to four decades.
Health officials often refer to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) as 'silent killers' or a 'silent epidemic' due to the fact that in most of the cases, the symptoms associated with this condition remain silent and invisible. Now, this raises the question: why does such a chronic disease remain undetected during the first three to four decades of infection?
Speaking to TheHealthSite.com, Dr. Vineet Gupta, Senior Consultant & Unit Head, Gastroenterology, ShardaCare-HealthCity, said about hepatitis, explained that - "Hepatitis is often called a 'silent disease' because many people experience few or no symptoms in its early stages. The liver has a remarkable ability to function despite ongoing damage, allowing inflammation to progress unnoticed for years. By the time symptoms such as jaundice, abdominal swelling, fatigue, or unexplained weight loss appear, significant liver injury, cirrhosis, or even liver cancer may have already developed. This is particularly true for chronic hepatitis B and C. Regular screening of high-risk individuals, timely vaccination against hepatitis A and B, safe hygiene practices, and early medical evaluation are essential to detect the disease before irreversible liver damage occurs."
According to the WHO, "Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is caused by a variety of infectious viruses and noninfectious agents."
The viral hepatitis can be long term and short term. Short-term hepatitis shows symptoms for weeks or for some months. Whereas the long term hepatitis can be result as fatal or doesn't go away anyway.
How does the virus spread? Studies have shown that hepatitis is an infectious disease that can be spread via direct contact with the infected person. It can reach to you via infected blood, bodily fluid and infected injections.
These viruses can cause some serious life-threatening diseases to liver such as liver injury, cirrhosis, or even liver cancer.
In busy schedules, people generally neglect it due to poor sleep, poor diet, ageing, stress, and work pressure.
There are five types of hepatitis viruses. This include - Hepatitis A virus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, Hepatitis D virus and Hepatitis E virus. In general, they are known as HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, and HEV respectively.
Hepatitis A- virus causes Hepatitis A that is common hepatitis found in people. It is caused by eating or drinking contaminated food and water.
Hepatitis B- virus causes hepatitis B, which is the most common liver infection worldwide. Generally, it a short-term illness but can be result in chronic and fatal if not recognised early.
Hepatitis C- virus causes Hepatitis C that mostly spread via shared vaccines and needles of infected peoples.
Hepatitis D- virus can not survive without Hepatitis B virus. Hence it needs hepatitis B to spread infection and cause Hepatitis D.
Hepatitis E- can often go away without treatment in normal people but the one who is pregnant needs well treatment to fight against pregnancy issues and liver issues.
Our anatomy is largely responsible for this silence. One of the primary reasons chronic hepatitis remains unnoticed for years is the anatomy of the liver. The liver itself has very few pain-sensitive nerves where these viruses cause inflammation. Pain receptors are mainly present in the thin outer covering of the liver. Unlike many other organs, the liver cannot easily send pain signals to the brain during the early stages of damage, delaying the recognition of infection.
Another reason is that the liver is a very strong organ and can handle a lot alone. Even if 70%- 80% of the liver is damaged, it can still function optimally and keep filtering out the toxins from blood and aid in digestion.
Because of the healthy cells of liver that are working hard to keep you healthy, the pain is unnoticed until the serious symptoms start showing up such as yellowing eyes and skin, swallowing in belly and easy brushing.
The good news is that treatment has come a long way.
Hepatitis B can now be kept under control with a daily antiviral medicine.
Hepatitis C can be fully cured in just 8 to 12 weeks using new antiviral drugs.
But these medicines only work well if we find the infection early, before the liver gets too much damage.
That's why big health groups like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) now suggest that _every adult_ should get tested for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C at least once in their life. It doesn't matter if you feel healthy or don't think you're at risk.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information purpose only. It is not suitable for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or any kind of treatment. The symptoms of hepatitis can vary from person to person. Hence, people should always consult a qualified doctor, gastroenterologist or healthcare provider for proper screening and diagnosis. We do not take responsibility for any decisions made based on the information provided here. We advise to neglect self medication or delay seeking medical help.