Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by a virus, alcohol, autoimmune disease, or other triggers

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver is an organ about the size of a football that sits under your right rib cage and does hundreds of jobs—filtering your blood, making proteins, storing energy, breaking down toxins. When hepatitis develops, the liver tissue swells and becomes damaged, which interferes with those functions.

The word "hepatitis" describes the inflammation itself, not a single disease. You can get hepatitis from a virus (the most common cause), from drinking too much alcohol over time, from your own immune system attacking liver cells, from certain medications, or from fatty buildup in the organ. The cause matters because it changes how the disease progresses, whether it goes away on its own, and what treatment looks like.

Some people with hepatitis have no symptoms at all and discover it only through blood tests. Others develop fatigue, yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, pale stools, abdominal pain, or nausea. Symptoms can appear suddenly or develop slowly over weeks or months, depending on the type and how severe it is.

Key Takeaways

  • Hepatitis is liver inflammation caused by viruses, alcohol, autoimmune disease, medications, or fatty buildup—not a single condition.
  • Viral hepatitis comes in five main types (A, B, C, D, E), each spread differently and with different outcomes: some clear on their own, others become chronic.
  • Many people with hepatitis have no symptoms and learn about it only through blood tests, while others experience fatigue, jaundice, dark urine, and abdominal pain.
  • Chronic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis (permanent scarring) and liver failure if untreated, but modern treatments can stop or slow progression for most types.

The five viral types and how they spread

Hepatitis A spreads through contaminated food or water, usually in places with poor sanitation. It causes acute illness—sudden symptoms that last weeks to months—but the liver almost always recovers completely. You cannot get chronic hepatitis A. A vaccine prevents it.

Hepatitis B spreads through blood and body fluids: unprotected sex, sharing needles, or from mother to baby at birth. Some adults clear the virus on their own within six months; others develop chronic infection that lasts for life. Chronic hepatitis B can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. A vaccine given in childhood prevents it; adults at risk can also be vaccinated.

Hepatitis C spreads mainly through blood contact—sharing needles, or less commonly through sexual contact or childbirth. Most people who get hepatitis C develop chronic infection. For decades this meant slow liver damage over 20 to 30 years, but modern antiviral medications can cure it in 8 to 12 weeks, even in people with advanced disease. A vaccine does not yet exist.

Hepatitis D only occurs in people who already have hepatitis B; it makes B infection more severe. It spreads through blood and body fluids. Hepatitis E spreads through contaminated water and is common in parts of Asia, Africa, and Central America. Most people recover completely, though pregnant women and people with existing liver disease face higher risk of severe illness.

Non-viral causes of hepatitis

Alcohol-related hepatitis develops from drinking heavily over months or years. The liver becomes inflamed and damaged. Some damage reverses if you stop drinking, but continued drinking leads to cirrhosis—permanent scarring where healthy tissue is replaced by scar tissue that no longer functions.

Autoimmune hepatitis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own liver cells. It is more common in women and can develop at any age. Without treatment it progresses to cirrhosis, but medications that suppress the immune response can stop or slow the damage.

Fatty liver disease happens when fat builds up inside liver cells. It is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Most people with fatty liver have no symptoms and no liver damage, but in some cases inflammation develops (called nonalcoholic fatty liver hepatitis, or NASH) and can progress to cirrhosis. Weight loss and managing blood sugar can slow or reverse it.

Certain medications, herbal supplements, and toxins can also cause hepatitis. Acetaminophen overdose is a common cause of acute liver failure.

Acute versus chronic hepatitis

Acute hepatitis comes on suddenly and lasts less than six months. Your immune system is actively fighting the trigger—usually a virus. You may feel very sick with fever, fatigue, and jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), or you may have no symptoms at all. Most cases of acute viral hepatitis resolve on their own as your body clears the virus. The liver heals and returns to normal function.

Chronic hepatitis lasts longer than six months. Your body has not cleared the virus or the trigger continues—ongoing alcohol use, ongoing autoimmune attack, or persistent fatty buildup. Chronic hepatitis may cause no symptoms for years, which is why many people do not know they have it. But the inflammation continues quietly, and over time it can scar the liver (cirrhosis) and eventually cause liver failure.

The distinction matters because acute hepatitis often needs only monitoring and supportive care, while chronic hepatitis usually requires treatment to prevent long-term damage.

How hepatitis progresses to cirrhosis and liver failure

Repeated inflammation damages liver cells. The body tries to repair the damage by laying down scar tissue, but scar tissue does not work like healthy liver tissue. As scarring accumulates, the liver becomes stiff and cannot filter blood properly, produce proteins, or store nutrients the way it should. This scarring is called cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis develops over years or decades in most cases, though it can happen faster in some people. Once cirrhosis is present, it is permanent—you cannot unscar the liver. But you can slow or stop further scarring by treating the underlying cause: stopping alcohol, taking antivirals for hepatitis B or C, or using immunosuppressants for autoimmune hepatitis.

If cirrhosis progresses, the liver eventually cannot do its job. Blood backs up in the veins (causing internal bleeding), fluid builds up in the belly and legs, the brain accumulates toxins it cannot clear (causing confusion), and kidney function fails. This is liver failure, a life-threatening condition. A liver transplant is the only cure, though medications and careful management can extend life for years.

How hepatitis is detected and diagnosed

Hepatitis is usually found through blood tests. A doctor orders these tests when you have symptoms (fatigue, jaundice, abdominal pain), when you have risk factors (injection drug use, unprotected sex, exposure to contaminated food or water), or sometimes by chance during routine screening.

Blood tests look for liver enzymes (proteins the liver releases when damaged) and bilirubin (a yellow pigment that builds up when the liver cannot process it, causing jaundice). If enzymes are high, further tests identify which type of hepatitis: tests for hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E antibodies or viral material; tests for autoimmune markers; imaging to check for cirrhosis or fatty buildup.

A test called FibroScan (transient elastography) uses ultrasound to measure liver stiffness—a sign of scarring. It is non-invasive and increasingly used instead of liver biopsy, though biopsy (removing a small tissue sample) is still sometimes needed to confirm diagnosis or assess damage.

Treatment depends on the type and stage

Acute hepatitis A needs only supportive care: rest, fluids, and monitoring. The liver almost always heals on its own.

Chronic hepatitis B is managed with antiviral medications (such as tenofovir or entecavir) that slow or stop viral replication. These do not cure the infection but prevent cirrhosis if taken consistently. Some people eventually clear the virus; others take antivirals for life.

Hepatitis C is now curable. Direct-acting antiviral medications (such as sofosbuvir/velpatasvir or glecaprevir/pibrentasvir) taken for 8 to 12 weeks eliminate the virus in over 95 percent of people, even those with cirrhosis. Treatment is expensive but increasingly covered by insurance and public programs.

Autoimmune hepatitis is treated with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants to reduce immune attack. Alcohol-related hepatitis requires stopping alcohol; severe cases may need corticosteroids. Fatty liver disease is managed through weight loss, exercise, and controlling diabetes and cholesterol.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get hepatitis from sharing food or drinks?

Hepatitis A spreads through contaminated food or water, not through sharing utensils or drinks with someone who has it. Hepatitis B, C, D, and E do not spread through food, saliva, or casual contact. They require blood-to-blood contact or, in the case of B and D, sexual contact or childbirth.

Is hepatitis always serious?

Hepatitis A is usually not serious and clears on its own. Hepatitis B and C can be serious if they become chronic and progress to cirrhosis, but modern treatments prevent that outcome in most people. Autoimmune and alcoholic hepatitis can be serious if untreated. Many people with chronic hepatitis have no symptoms and live normal lifespans with treatment.

Can the liver repair itself after hepatitis?

Yes, if hepatitis is acute and the trigger is removed, the liver usually heals completely. If hepatitis is chronic and scarring (cirrhosis) has developed, the scarring is permanent, but treatment can stop further damage. Early detection and treatment prevent cirrhosis from developing in the first place.

Do I need a vaccine for all types of hepatitis?

Vaccines exist for hepatitis A and B and are recommended for most people, especially children. No vaccine exists yet for hepatitis C, D, or E, though a hepatitis E vaccine is available in some countries. If you have hepatitis B, you cannot get hepatitis D, so preventing B prevents D.

What should I do if I think I have been exposed to hepatitis?

Contact your doctor and describe the exposure. Depending on the type, post-exposure prophylaxis (preventive treatment) may be available—for example, hepatitis A immunoglobulin or hepatitis B vaccine and immunoglobulin within days of exposure. Blood tests can confirm whether you have been infected.