What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis means there is swelling in the liver.
Viruses, alcohol, drugs and other toxins are the most common causes of liver damage and hepatitis. Occasionally, hepatitis can happen because the immune system attacks the liver by mistake.
There are five types of viruses that can cause hepatitis
The viruses cause similar symptoms. Some types make you more unwell than others. The viruses spread in different ways.
Hepatitis A
You can get Hepatitis A if you eat or drink something that has come into contact with poo. This can happen when the water source is not clean. It can also happen when people do not wash their hands correctly.
It can make you very sick, but it usually doesn't last long. Most people get completely better.
It is rare in Australia.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is carried in the blood and sexual fluids.
There is a vaccine for hepatitis B.
You can get it in a few ways:
- From mother to baby during birth (known as vertical transmission, this is the most common way)
- From blood to blood, for example from open wounds or injecting equipment
- From sexual fluids
You can protect yourself by getting a vaccine. The vaccines work well and are safe. They are on the national immunisation schedule.
Most people who come into contact hepatitis B as adults will clear the virus within 6 months. But most babies that have hepatitis B will have it their whole life. We call this chronic hepatitis B.
Most people can live well with hepatitis B, but you need to manage it. If you have chronic hepatitis B you will need liver checks every 6 to 12 months. Some people need to take medicine.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is carried in the blood.
There is a cure for hepatitis C.
You can get hepatitis C in a few ways, including:
- sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment, including spoons
- tattooing or body piercing with unsterile equipment
- medical procedures with unsterile equipment
- sharing toothbrushes, razors or nail files.
Treatment cures most people. The treatment is simple to take (tablets) and works in 8 or 12 weeks.
Even after being cured of hepatitis C, some people may still have health issues—especially if they had the infection for a long time. This is because their liver may already be damaged. Without treatment, hepatitis C can cause liver disease and cancer.
Hepatitis D
You can only get hepatitis D if you already have hepatitis B. This could be at the same time as you get hepatitis B or later. It can make hepatitis B worse and lead to more serious health problems.
It is rare in Australia.
Hepatitis E
Hepatitis E is like hepatitis A. You can get it if you eat some types of meat or from drinking water infected with poo. It can make you feel very sick, but it usually doesn’t last long—and most people get better completely.
It is very rare in Australia.
If you think you might have hepatitis, you can:
- ring HepLink Australia on 1800 437 222
- visit a doctor