Your doctor will discuss possible treatments with you, depending on the cause of your liver disease. Your doctor may recommend a high-calorie diet if you are losing weight.

There are support groups for people with all types of hepatitis, which can help you learn about the latest treatments and better cope with having the disease.

See: Liver disease support groups

For information on hepatitis outlook, see these articles:

• Alcoholic hepatitis
• Autoimmune hepatitis
• Delta agent (hepatitis D)
• Drug-induced hepatitis
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C

• Liver cancer
• Liver failure
• Permanent liver damage, called cirrhosis

Other complications include:

• Esophageal varices that can bleed
• Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (fluid in the abdomen that becomes infected)

Seek immediate care if you:

• Have symptoms from too much acetaminophen or other medicines -- you may need to have your stomach pumped
• Vomit blood
• Have bloody or tarry stools
• Are confused or delirious

Call your doctor if:

• You have any symptoms of hepatitis or believe that you have been exposed to hepatitis A, B, or C.
• You cannot keep food down due to excessive vomiting. You may need to receive nutrition through a vein (intravenously).
• You feel sick and have travelled to Asia, Africa, South America, or Central America.

Images

Liver anatomy

Hepatitis C

Gianotti-Crosti syndrome on the leg

Hepatitis B virus

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Hepatitis Prevention

Review Date: 11/23/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)