a deep breath...

Signs and Symptoms

Hepatitis, in its early stages, may cause flu-like symptoms, including:

• malaise (a general ill feeling)
• fever
• muscle aches
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)

But some people with hepatitis may have no symptoms at all and may not even know they're infected. Children with hepatitis A, for example, usually have mild symptoms or have no symptoms.

If hepatitis progresses, its symptoms begin to point to the liver as the source of illness. Chemicals normally secreted by the liver begin to build up in the blood, which causes:

• jaundice
• foul breath
• a bitter taste in the mouth
• dark or "tea-colored" urine
• white, light, or "clay-colored" stools

There can also be abdominal pain, which may be centered below the right ribs (over a tender, swollen liver) or below the left ribs (over a tender spleen).

Prevention

In general, to prevent viral hepatitis you should:

• Follow good hygiene and avoid crowded, unhealthy living conditions.
• Take extra care, particularly when drinking and swimming, if you travel to areas of the world where sanitation is poor and water quality is uncertain.
• Never eat shellfish from waters contaminated by sewage.
• Remind everyone in your family to wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet and before eating.
  
• Use antiseptic cleansers to clean any toilet, sink, potty-chair, or bedpan used by someone in the family who develops hepatitis.

Because contaminated needles and syringes are a major source of hepatitis infection, it's a good idea to encourage drug awareness programs in your community and schools. At home, speak to your child frankly and frequently about the dangers of drug use. It's also important to encourage abstinence and safe sex for teens, in order to eliminate their risk of hepatitis infection through sexual contact.

A hepatitis A vaccine is available, and is especially recommended for those who:

• travel abroad
• have other forms of liver disease
• have many sexual partners
• are in high-risk occupations, such as health-care and child-care personnel

If you're planning to travel abroad, consult your doctor in advance so you and your family have enough time to complete the required immunizations. The vaccine is especially useful for staff of child-care facilities or schools where they may be at risk of exposure.

There's also a hepatitis B vaccine, which should be given to both children and adults as part of routine immunization.

Unfortunately, there's no vaccine for hepatitis C — animal studies indicate that it may not be possible because the virus doesn't cause the kind of response that would be needed for a vaccine to be successful.

Why i write this? just wanna ppl be aware with these viruses,it attacked 2 most beloved ppl in my life,hopefully it will give u some information how to prevent and deal with it =)

The word hepatitis simply means an inflammation of the liver without pinpointing a specific cause. Someone with hepatitis may:

• have one of several disorders, including viral or bacterial infection of the liver
• have a liver injury caused by a toxin (poison)
• have liver damage caused by interruption of the organ's normal blood supply
• be experiencing an attack by his or her own immune system through an autoimmune disorder
• have experienced trauma to the abdomen in the area of the liver