What is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis is a general term used to describe inflammation of the liver. Liver inflammation can be caused by several viruses (viral hepatitis), chemicals, drugs, alcohol, certain genetic disorders or by an overactive immune system that mistakenly attacks the liver, called autoimmune hepatitis. Depending on its course, hepatitis can be acute, which flares up suddenly and then goes away, or chronic, which is a long-term condition usually producing more subtle symptoms and progressive liver damage.Types of HepatitisThere are five viruses that cause the different forms of viral hepatitis: hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. Hepatitis A is mostly a food-borne illness and can be spread through contaminated water and unwashed food. It is the easiest to transmit, especially in children,...