Hepatitis non-A (alcoholic hepatitis)
Hepatitis non-A (alcoholic hepatitis) Causes
Ethanol, mostly the kind found in alcoholic beverages, is a significant cause of hepatitis. Usually alcoholic hepatitis results after a period of increased alcohol consumption.
Hepatitis non-A (alcoholic hepatitis) Definition
Hepatitis (plural hepatitides) implies injury to liver marked by presence of inflammatory cells in the liver tissue.
Hepatitis non-A (alcoholic hepatitis) Diagnosis
These viral hepatitis conditions can be diagnosed and followed through the use of readily available blood tests.
Hepatitis non-A (alcoholic hepatitis) Symptoms and Signs
Alcoholic hepatitis is marked by a variable constellation of symptoms, which may include feeling unwell, enlargement of the liver, development of fluid in the abdomen ascites, and modest elevation of liver blood tests. Alcoholic hepatitis can differ from mild with only liver test elevation to severe liver inflammation with development of jaundice, prolonged prothrombin time, and liver failure. Severe cases are marked by either obtundation (dulled consciousness) or the combination of elevated bilirubin levels and prolonged prothrombin time. Its mortality rate in both categories is 50% within 30 days of onset. Initial features are of nonspecific flu-like symptoms, commonly seen in almost all acute viral infections and may include malaise, muscle and joint aches, fever, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, and headache. More specific symptoms, which can be found in acute hepatitis from any cause, are: profound loss of appetite, aversion to smoking among smokers, dark urine, yellowing of the eyes and skin (i.e., jaundice) and abdominal discomfort.
Hepatitis non-A (alcoholic hepatitis) Treatment
Complete abstinence from alcohol is the one most important treatment for alcoholic hepatitis. It is the only way to reverse liver damage or, in more advanced cases, to prevent the disease from worsening. Without treatment, the majority of people with alcoholic hepatitis eventually progresses to cirrhosis.