Hepatitis Specialist

What is Hepatitis and How is it Classified?

Hepatitis refers to a viral infection that affects liver function.  It can be classified into three different types: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.  Although all three types have similar symptoms, they are all caused by different viruses and have different modes of transmission.  Hepatitis A is highly contagious and usually contracted through person-to-person contact or eating or drinking contaminated food or water.  Hepatitis B is contracted when semen, blood or another body fluid is transmitted from an infected person to another.  Hepatitis C is contracted by coming in contact with the blood of an infected person.

How is Hepatitis Diagnosed?

To diagnose any Hepatitis, blood will need to be drawn and tested in a variety of ways.  Be sure to talk to your doctor about your travel history, medical history, and sexual history to determine which type of Hepatitis you may have.

What are Common Treatments for Hepatitis?

Vaccines are available to prevent Hepatitis A and B, but there is no vaccine available to prevent Hepatitis C.  People with Hepatitis A usually improve without medical intervention, but people with Hepatitis B and C can develop chronic infections or liver problems unless they seek treatment.  

If you are diagnosed with Acute Hepatitis B, chances are you will be asked to rest, drink plenty of fluids, and follow up with your doctor regularly to monitor your liver for any chronic infection.  If your liver begins to show signs of distress, Dr. Eng can offer different courses of treatment that will allow you to manage your chronic condition.

Acute Hepatitis C can be treated effectively with medication thereby reducing the likelihood of developing a chronic viral infection.  In fact, the same medications used to treat acute Hepatitis C are used to treat chronic Hepatitis C, although these medications have been shown to be more effective in the acute stage.