What can Cause Liver Inflammation?

Hepatitis is a general disease name for liver inflammation and can have many different causes. Among them, viral infection is one of the most common.

1. Viral infection: Many viruses can cause liver inflammation and they are infectious and transmittable. Now we know, the major viral causes of hepatitis are HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, and HEV.  Recently, HFV and HGV have just been discovered. Among them, HAV and HDV are usually self-limited infections and rarely become chronic or progress to cirrhosis. Chronic HBV and HCV infections on the other hand,  are the most common. These types of the hepatitis can  progress to serious liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Patients who have Hepatitis C should definitely have the HAV and HBV vaccinations in order to avoid co-infection with these two kinds of viral infections. Co-infections can dramatically accelerate the progression rate of the chronic condition.

  2. Alcoholic hepatitis: Alcohol abuse can cause liver inflammation because alcohol and its metabolite are toxic to liver cells. If a person takes in 150g of alcohol daily for about 5 years, 90% of them will have various liver damages. For 10 years, 34% will have chronic alcoholic hepatitis and about 25% will progress to cirrhosis. Alcoholic liver diseases are three times more common than HCV infection. Thus, it is very important for patients with HCV to avoid any alcoholic drinks.

3. Drug or chemical intoxication: Many drugs and chemicals can cause liver damage and induce hepatitis, such as carbon-tetrachloride, amethopterin, tetracycline, acetaminophen, fenoprofen, etc. The degree and severity of the liver damage is dependent on the dosage, the length of the course, and individual's constitution. Long-term drugs or chemicals can induce chronic hepatitis, even cirrhosis. Thus, people with hepatitis C should avoid taking unnecessary drugs and stop using any recreational chemicals. When there is an infection or condition that calls for antibiotics or pain-killers, the patient must also be careful when choosing the drugs. Always inform your doctor of you liver condition if you he or she is unaware and is prescribing medication for you.

4. Others: Many other systematic infections can also infect the liver, such as EBV, bacteria infections. They can also cause liver enzyme elevation and other liver dysfunctions. In these diseases, the liver inflammation is only part of its systematic manifestation.  People with hepatitis C should be careful to protect themselves from possible infections. Any infection can stir up immune reactions which can worsen the symptoms of hepatitis C.

If the liver inflammation last less than six months, it will be considered acute hepatitis; if the disease course becomes longer than six months,the liver inflammation become chronic.