Hepatitis

Hepatitis services offered in Denton, TX

Medications can control hepatitis B and cure hepatitis C, yet millions of Americans live with liver inflammation because they’re not aware they have the disease. At Denton Digestive Institute PLLC, Abhinandan Raj, MD, tests for hepatitis and provides the treatment you need to stay healthy and prevent progressive liver damage. It’s important to learn about your risk for hepatitis so you can avoid serious complications like liver cancer. To schedule an appointment, call the office in Denton, Texas, or book online today.

Hepatitis Q & A

What causes hepatitis?

Hepatitis occurs when your liver becomes inflamed. Though hepatitis most often develops from a viral infection, drugs, toxins, alcohol, and autoimmune diseases can cause the disease.

Of the five different types of viral hepatitis, the most common include hepatitis A, B, and C:

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A comes from contact with stool or blood that contains the virus. You may also get this type of hepatitis from contaminated food. Your body usually clears away the hepatitis A virus, so it doesn’t cause a long-lasting infection.

Hepatitis B

You get hepatitis B by coming into contact with contaminated bodily fluids, such as saliva, blood, and semen. Hepatitis B is a chronic (long-lasting) infection that can live in your body for years without causing symptoms. Even though you don’t have symptoms, the infection causes ongoing liver inflammation and damage.

Hepatitis C

You get hepatitis C through contact with contaminated blood, such as during a blood transfusion or by sharing needles with a person who has the virus.

Your risk for hepatitis C increases if you:

Have HIV
Are a health care worker exposed to infected blood
Have injected illegal drugs
Got a tattoo or piercing in an unclean environment
Were born between 1945 and 1965
Received a blood transfusion before 1992
Received clotting factor concentrates before 1987
Received hemodialysis treatments for a long time

Hepatitis C also lives inside your body, causing progressive liver damage.

What symptoms occur due to hepatitis?

Hepatitis itself doesn't cause symptoms. However, you start to experience symptoms as you lose liver function. Then you may experience:

Bleeding or bruising easily
Abdominal pain
Fatigue
Poor appetite
Jaundice (yellow discoloration of your skin and eyes)
Dark-colored urine
Itchy skin
Nausea
Abdominal bloating (due to a fluid buildup)
Confusion, drowsiness, slurred speech

Up to 25% of people with chronic hepatitis B or C develop cirrhosis that puts them at risk for liver failure.

How is hepatitis treated?

You can get vaccinations to prevent hepatitis A and B, but not hepatitis C. While there's no cure for hepatitis B, Dr. Raj prescribes drugs that control the virus and lower your risk of liver disease.

There may not be a vaccine for hepatitis C, but you can get antiviral medications that cure most cases. Dr. Raj works closely with hepatitis C patients and a specialty pharmacy to ensure each patient gets the treatment they need. He also makes sure your labs and radiology tests are done on time.

If you need expert care for hepatitis, call Denton Digestive Institute PLLC, or book an appointment online today.