Do I Have Hepatitis?

Do you have discomfort or pain in your abdomen, usually on the upper right side beneath your lower ribs?

Do you have an enlarged, tender liver that can be felt below the ribs in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen?

Do you have dark urine?

Do you have pale or clay-colored stool?

Do you have yellow tinge to the skin and whites of the eyes (which may be signs of jaundice)?

Do you have a mild fever (under 100F) that lasts for a few days?

Do you have poor appetite for days in a row or weight loss?

Do you feel unusually tired all the time, even after a good night of sleep?

Do you feel sick to your stomach, have nausea and vomit?

Do you have intense itching (without skin lesions)?

Do you have muscle and joint pain?

Do you drink alcohol excessively (drinking 4- 5 or more drinks during a single occasion or 8- 15 or more drinks per week)?

According to your knowledge, have you had recent sexual contact with someone who has hepatitis, do you practice unprotected sex or do you have many sex partners?

Have you been in contact with an infected person's body fluids or in direct contact with infected blood?

Did you get a tattoo recently or did you share razors or a toothbrush with someone?

Has anyone in your family or someone close to you, such as a roommate, had hepatitis?

Did you travel to countries with poor sanitation, raw sewage or untreated water?

Based on your answers it is unlikely that you have hepatitis. Sometimes, people infected with the hepatitis virus do not feel sick and do not know they are infected, while others may have flu like symptoms. That is way hepatitis is referred to as a “silent” disease. If you think you have been exposed to one of the hepatitis risk factors, make an appointment with your doctor and get tested to remove any doubt.

Based on your answers there is a possibility that you have hepatitis. Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis is commonly caused by a viral infection, but it can also be an autoimmune disease as well as a secondary result of alcohol, medication or toxins. There are 5 types of virally transmitted hepatitis (type A, B, C, D, and E) and each type is caused by a different virus. When you have symptoms of hepatitis you need to make an appointment with your doctor in order to get tested and confirm the diagnosis. Treatment options depend on the type of hepatitis.