Many people with hepatitis will get no symptoms at all or only get symptoms a long time after infection.
If you do have symptoms, these may include:
- yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice) – yellowed skin may be less noticeable if you have brown or black skin
- itchy skin
- pain in your upper tummy, usually under the right side of your ribs
- pale poo
- darker pee than normal
- feeling very tired
- feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
- a high temperature
- losing your appetite
These symptoms usually last for 1 to 3 weeks, but they can last longer and sometimes may come back again.
You might also get flu-like symptoms, diarrhoea, tummy pain, and feel or be sick before the main symptoms of hepatitis start. This can last for 5 to 7 days.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from 111 if:
- you think you have hepatitis
You can get help from 111 online or call 111. Always call 111 if you need help for a child under 5 years old.
The most common cause of hepatitis is being infected with a hepatitis virus. How you get the virus depends on the type, but you can get an infection by:
- eating food or drinking water that has come into contact with the poo of an infected person or animal
- eating raw or undercooked meat (usually pork) or shellfish
- infected blood or body fluids mixing with your blood
Getting infected from blood or body fluids can happen during birth, unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex, or a blood transfusion.
It can also happen if you share things like needles, razor blades or toothbrushes, or from equipment that's not been cleaned properly – for example, when getting a tattoo or piercing.
Hepatitis can also be caused by:
- other infections, such as glandular fever and cytomegalovirus (CMV)
- substances, such as drinking alcohol or eating poisonous mushrooms
- some medicines, such as statins and NSAIDs
- other conditions, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or haemochromatosis
There are 5 main viruses that cause different types of hepatitis. There are also non-viral types of hepatitis.
The causes and treatment depend on which type you have. Get medical help if you think you have hepatitis.
Find out more
- Alcohol-related liver disease
- Autoimmune hepatitis (British Liver Trust)
- Viral hepatitis (British Liver Trust)
How hepatitis is treated depends on the type, what's caused it or how serious it is.
Some types, such as hepatitis A and hepatitis E, usually get better without treatment for the virus.
For other types, treatment can include:
- antiviral medicine to treat or control the infection
- medicine to help calm your immune system
- lifestyle changes like drinking less alcohol or keeping to a healthy weight
If your liver has been seriously damaged by hepatitis, you may need a liver transplant.
Hepatitis can be short term (acute) or long term (chronic).
Short-term hepatitis usually does not cause serious complications, but it can take several months to recover fully.
Having hepatitis for a long time, or not having treatment for some types of hepatitis, can cause serious problems.
Complications can include:
- permanent damage to the liver (cirrhosis)
- liver failure
- liver cancer, or other types of cancer
