Hepatitis is a very deadly and damaging disease that affects the liver. Often times, the only way way to know when a person has hepatitis is to see a doctor. How does a doctor make a hepatitis diagnosis? Well, there are several things that they look for.
The first indication to the prescense of hepatitis is the liver. When doctors examine the liver, they look for inflammatory cells and scarring in the liver tissue. Both inflammation and scarring are caused by hepatitis. However, if they happen to find that a liver has scar tissue of inflammation, that does not necessarily warrant a hepatitis diagnosis. Excessive drinking or other liver conditions besides hepatitis can cause similar effects on the liver tissue. It is important to look past the obvious.
When doctors find signs of damage on the liver, they then conduct a blood test to search for several viruses known to cause hepatitis. These viruses are known as the hepatitis viruses. They consist of Hepatitis A through E. Surprisingly, hepatitis can be caused by viruses known for causing other diseases. For example, the herpes simplex virus and the yellow fever virus can both cause hepatitis alongside the diseases they normally cause.
Bacteria can also cause hepatitis. The bacteria responsible for toxoplasma, Q fever, and rocky mountain spotted fever are known for damaging the liver in the same way hepatitis would. In recent years, scientists have found that certain poisons and toxins from wild mushrooms produce the same effects on the liver as hepatitis. Other not so sinister scenarios can cause hepatitis. These are conditions like pregnancy and circulatory anomalies.
Because hepatitis can be caused by so many different things, it is recommended by doctors that everyone get a hepatitis check up at least once every six months. If a hepatitis diagnosis is made early, treatment will be more effective.