Symptoms of Hepatitis
Symptoms of Hepatitis vary depending on the cause of the illness and how much the liver has been damaged. Some people who are carrying a viral hepatitis infection may have no signs of the infection. For other people, signs and symptoms might occur and be obvious. However, some people do not manifest any symptoms or a hepatitis infection. Some of the more common symptoms of viral hepatitis include:

• abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• fatigue
• headache
• jaundice - a yellowing of the skin and eyes
• loss of appetite
• low grade fever
• nausea
• vomiting

A person can transmit a hepatitis infection during the incubation period, or the period of time after exposure to the virus during which you can display symptoms of hepatitis. As a matter of fact, people are most infective at the middle of the incubation period, whereas the possibility of transmission is less likely after symptoms manifest.

Hepatitis A symptoms
Hepatitis A, caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, has an average incubation period of approximately 28 days but symptoms can manifest within the range of 15-50 days. Symptoms of HAV are similar to those of flu. They can include:

• feeling sick and vomiting
• fever
• loss of appetite
• stomach ache and/or diarrhea
• tiredness

Hepatitis B symptoms
Hepatitis B has a wide range of symptoms that usually appear 12 weeks after infection and can range from mild to severe. The incubation period from the time of exposure to onset of symptoms is 6 weeks to 6 months. Hep B can be mild, without symptoms, or it may cause chronic hepatitis and, in some cases, can lead to full-blown liver failure and death. They may include some or all of the following:

• abdominal pain, especially around your liver
• dark urine
• joint pain
• loss of appetite
• nausea and vomiting
• weakness and fatigue
• yellow skin (jaundice)
• yellow whites of the eyes (jaundice)

Hepatitis C symptoms
Hep C does not usually manifest symptoms or symptoms of HAC are usually mild and gradual. In fact, it is common for people to have Hepatitis C for 15 years or longer before it is diagnosed. Nonetheless, for people who do develop symptoms, the average time period from exposure to symptom onset is 4-12 weeks, although the incubation period range can fall anywhere from 2-24 weeks. If symptoms do develop, they may include:

• belly pain
• dark urine
• fatigue
• itchy skin
• jaundice
• joint pain
• sore muscles

Hepatitis D symptoms
Hep D may make the symptoms of Hepatitis B more severe. The incubation period for HDV ranges from 2 to 8 weeks. However, when HBV and HDV viruses infect simultaneously, the incubation period is similar to that of hepatitis B which is is 45 to 160 days, with an average of 90 days.See Hep B symptoms above for more information.

Hepatitis E symptoms
Symptoms of Hep E usually occur within 2 to 9 weeks after infection. Symptoms of Hepatitis E include:

• abdominal pain (right upper abdomen)
• abnormal clay colored stool
• brown urine
• fatigue
• fever
• itching
• jaundice
• nausea
• vomiting

Hepatitis G symptoms
Hepatitis G seems to live in the blood without causing any apparent illness There is still no clear association between Hepatitis G virus and liver disease and information about the symptoms caused by the infection with this virus are very limited.

When to seek help
Contact a doctor immediately if a person diagnosed with Hepatitis develops severe dehydration (caused by vomiting and an inability to hold down fluids) or any signs of rapidly developing liver failure, which include:

• bleeding from the nose
• bleeding from the mouth
• bleeding from the rectum (including blood in stools)
• bleeding under the skin
• extreme drowsiness
• extreme irritability
• impaired ability to think clearly or reason
• loss of consciousness.
• swelling of the face, hands, feet, ankles, legs, arms, or abdomen

Again, if you notice that you are experiencing symptoms that may indicate hepatitis, see your doctor. The sooner that you see your doctor, then the sooner you can begin treatment. Also, by seeing your doctor, you'll be able to determine if you have Hepatitis or another condition. It's important to diagnose and treat symptoms of Hepatitis when you first notice them. This will help prevent the symptoms from worsening and causing further complications, even liver failure or death. To learn more about how Hepatitis is diagnosed, check out the next section on diagnosing Hepatitis now.