Affecting millions of people all over the world, hepatitis is a health condition that could lead to life-threatening complications. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can cause potentially life-threatening complications. Highly contagious yet treatable, this liver infection often goes undiagnosed in the early stages. Not getting it treated in time could cause serious long-term damage to the liver and adversely affect the overall health of the sufferer.

Being aware of the symptoms and causes of the common types of hepatitis is important:

1. Hepatitis A
Causes: Among the common types of hepatitis, hepatitis A is an infection affecting the health and functionality of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). This infection occurs in an individual when he or she consumes food or water that is contaminated by the poop of a person infected by HAV.

Symptoms: The symptoms of this form of hepatitis can make the sufferer feel like he or she has got the flu. Generally, hepatitis A causes symptoms like fatigue, nausea, jaundice, loss of appetite, diarrhea, pain, and discomfort in the abdominal area.

2. Hepatitis B
Causes: Caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis B is one of the most common types of hepatitis; it is a highly contagious infection that spreads through sexual contact, contaminated needles (sharing the infected needle or getting stick with one) or gets passed from a mother to a child.

Symptoms: Generally, the symptoms of hepatitis B only start to show up after a month or more since the person has been infected. The common symptoms of this type of hepatitis are a pain in the abdomen, fever, joint pain, weakness, dark urine, and loss of appetite.

3. Hepatitis C
Causes: This type of hepatitis is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The infection occurs when an individual comes into contact with contaminated body fluids like blood.

Symptoms: Hepatitis C may either lead to an acute or chronic illness. It is very likely that the person infected with this virus may not experience symptoms for a long period of time. The common symptoms are easy bruising and bleeding, loss of appetite, fatigue, dark urine, jaundice, itchy skin, and ascites.

4. Hepatitis D
Causes: Hepatitis D is caused by the hepatitis D virus (HDV) that only infects individuals who are already infected by the hepatitis B virus. In a majority of cases, this type of hepatitis is transmitted from the mother to the child.

Symptoms: The most commonly experienced symptoms of hepatitis D are jaundice, pain and discomfort in the abdomen, joint pain, poor appetite, dark urine, and fatigue.

5. Hepatitis E
Causes: Hepatitis E occurs when a person gets infected by hepatitis E virus (HEV). This occurs when an individual comes into contact with fecally-contaminated water.

Symptoms: As hepatitis E is a potentially dangerous infection, the severity of these symptoms may range from mild to serious range. Some of the symptoms of hepatitis E are dark urine, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, and in serious cases, liver enlargement and liver failure.

Be on a lookout for the common symptoms of the aforementioned types of hepatitis. As timely diagnosis and treatment can save you from a great deal of pain and discomfort.