- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Abdominal pain
- Jaundice
- Joint pain
- Dark-colored urine
- Light-colored stool
“Most people who catch it do not have any symptoms at the time of infection, but some will have symptoms like we see with hepatitis C,” Jenkins notes.
The Mayo Clinic and CDC state that HBV may be treated with:
- An immunoglobin injection within 24 hours of infection
- Supportive care for acute (short-term) infections, including rest, fluids and monitoring of the infection
Treatments for chronic (long-term) HBV infection may include:
- Antiviral medications
- Interferon injections
- A liver transplant if the virus progresses and causes severe liver damage
“About 5% to 10% of adults do develop a chronic infection with hepatitis B. If people get hepatitis B as a child, it is much more likely that they will develop a chronic infection,” Jenkins shares.
“Not all people with chronic infection need treatment right away, but they need to see a doctor regularly to check their status,” she advises.
Hepatitis C
The CDC says that hepatitis C is unique from hepatitis A and B in that over half the infections are long-term (chronic), and there’s also no vaccine for it. The infection is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Having symptoms of acute HCV is not common, but you may experience:
- Loss of appetite
- Yellow skin (jaundice) and yellow eyes (scleral icterus)
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Fever
- Dark-colored urine
- Light-colored stool
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
Chronic HCV symptoms are also uncommon but may include:
- Chronic fatigue
- Depression
“Hepatitis C is spread through contact with someone else’s blood,” Jenkins notes. “Current ways people get it are through sharing needles or paraphernalia for injecting or snorting drugs; tattoos, especially ones done in non-professional settings; or occupational exposures, like a health care worker who has a needlestick.”
She adds that it may also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, but “is not transmitted very well through sex between a man and woman. Sex between men has a much higher chance of transmitting hepatitis C.”
According to the CDC and Hepatitis C Online, there are a number of antiviral medications available to treat HCV. In more severe cases, it may also be treated with liver transplant surgery.
RELATED: Hepatitis C Treatments: A Comprehensive Guide
Hepatitis D
Only people who have had hepatitis B may contract the hepatitis D virus (HDV). For this reason, it’s known as a “satellite virus” according to the CDC. It also has symptoms similar to HBV.
“This is a rapidly progressive disease,” explains Hepatitis B Foundation medical director Dr. Robert Gish, in a Liver Foundation webinar. He advises that this is why all patients with HBV should also be tested for HDV.
The CDC states that the only approved treatment for HDV in the United States is a drug called pegylated interferon alpha.
Hepatitis E
“Hepatitis E is very similar to hepatitis A. It’s spread through contaminated food and water,” Jenkins shares.
She notes that the following symptoms may indicate a hepatitis E infection:
- Jaundice
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
“There are no treatments for hepatitis E other than supportive care,” Jenkins explains, although she also says it’s not a common infection in the United States.
According to the CDC, most people make a full recovery from hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection.