HEPATITIS

Hepatitis is a disease that causes injury to liver, which occur due to the presence of inflammatory cells in tissues of liver. A group of viruses is the major cause of hepatitis. It may also be caused due to toxins present or from other infections. Acute hepatitis is when it lasts less than 6 months and chronic hepatitis is when it persists longer. A group of virusus known as the hepatitis viruses cause most cases of liver damage worldwide. Hepatitis can also be due to toxins (notably alcohol), other infections or from autoimmune process. It may run a subclinical course when the affected person may not feel ill. The patient becomes unwell and symptomatic when the disease impairs liver functions that include, among other things, screening of harmful substances, regulation of blood composition, and production of bile to help digestion.

CAUSES OF HEPATITIS

Acute Hepatitis

* Viral Hepatitis: Hepatitis A to E (more than 95% of viral cause), Herpes simplex, Cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr, yellow fever virus, adenoviruses.
* Non viral infection: toxoplasma, Leptospira, Q fever rocky mountain spotted fever.
* Alcohol.
* Toxins: Amanita toxin in mushrooms,  Carbon tetrachloride, asafetida. Drugs: Paracetamol, amoxycillin, anti tuberculosis medicines, minocycline and many others. Circulatory insufficiency. Auto  immune  conditions  e.g.   Systemic  Lupus thematosus (SLE). Metabolic diseases e.g. Wilsons disease. inlc Hepatitis v

viral Hepatitis: Hepatitis B with or without hepatitis I», 1 lepatitis C (Hepatitis A and E do not lead to chronic

* Autoimmune: Autoimmune hepatitis.
* Alcohol.
* Drugs:methyl-dopa,  nitrofurantoin,  isoniazide, ketoconazole
* Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
* Heredity;: Wilsons disease, alpha 1-antitrypsin
deficiency.   
* Primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing
cholangitis occasionally mimic chronic hepatitis.