Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis is usually caused by viruses, but bacteria can also be a cause of hepatitis. Current studies conducted by scientists have shown that there are no more than five viruses that can cause hepatitis. All these types of hepatitis are very serious and they can do a lot of damage to your liver. The five types of hepatitis are hepatitis A, B, C, D and hepatitis E.

Hepatitis A is caused by a virus that spreads through water or food. The hepatitis A virus is found in one' s fecal materials. If somehow, this material contaminates water of food, the hepatitis virus is then spread very easily. The symptoms for this type of hepatitis are very similar to those of the flu. If you have hepatitis A, vomiting, nausea, fatigue and abdominal pain will be some of the symptoms. Furthermore, if your urine is dark or your skin and eyes turn yellowish, then you can definitely say that you have hepatitis. In this case, a doctor should be seen right away. He/ she will do some further tests to see if indeed you have hepatitis A or not. If you have hepatitis, then you will start a treatment. In cases of hepatitis A, the best treatment there is is to get plenty of rest and stay away from sexual contact. Hepatitis A can last somewhere between two weeks and half an year. There are corently two vaccines available for hepatitis A. One of the hepatitis vaccine is for those that have already been

exposed to the hepatitis virus and the second one is to prevent hepatitis A.

The second type of hepatitis: hepatitis B spreads through blood and sexual contact. Hepatitis B has almost the same symptoms as hepatits A. Loss of appetite can also be another hepatitis symptom. There are people that can have hepatitis B and still have no hepatitis symptoms at all. The treatment for this type of hepatitis is with medication. For children, vaccines are also available against hepatitis.

Hepatitis C, like hepatitis B is also spread by contact with blood that has been contaminated. In this case of hepatitis, more than half of the hepatitis patients have no symptoms at all. Those who have signs of hepatitis feel a loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue and jaundice. For this particular type of hepatitis there is no vaccine. Treatment for hepatitis C is with interferon or some combinations using this drug.

Like hepatitis B and C, hepatitis D is also spread through blood. In order to develop hepatitis D, you either have to suffer from hepatitis B or get infected with hepatitis B at the same time. This happens because hepatitis D needs the hepatitis B virus in order to replicate. Hepatitis E has no treatment and there are no vaccines for it.