Hepatitis is a disease of the liver.

Hepa comes from the greek word for liver, and itis is Latin for inflammation. Thus, hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, when you have hepatitis, your liver doesnt work normally. In rare. Cases, the liver can fail altogether. Your liver plays a key role in keeping you healthy, purifying your blood, and supplying chemicals that your body needs. Liver disease can have serious short- and long-term effects on your health.

Hepatitis is not a single disease. Rather, it is inflamation of the liver that can result from various causes. Most forms of hepatitis come from infection with a virus. There are different types of hepetitis viruses, including hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, and G. This book deals specifically with hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is carried in the blood and other body fluids and is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is most often passed from one person to another in semen or blood as a result of having unprotected sex or from sharing a hypodermic needle. It may also be contracted from blood transfusions, although this is rare. It is also possible to pass on HBV via saliva, tears, or sweat, if there is direct contact with a cut or scratch. However, this type of transmission is less likely because the concentration of the virus is lower in these fluids. This book starts out by explaining how the liver fuctions, how hepatitis infects the liver and effects its functions, and how you might contract hepatitis. It then goes on to discuss the short- and long-term effects of hepatitis, its diagnosis and treatmeant, and ways you can protect yourself so that you reduce your chances of catching it.