Things You'll Need:
- Liver biopsy
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Step 1
Realize that any of the contagious hepatitis viruses, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and hepatitis D, can lead to chronic hepatitis. Hepatitis A does not usually cause chronic illness.
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Step 2
Know that viral and bacterial infections can lead to hepatitis, but this acute hepatitis usually clears up before it does lasting damage.
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Step 3
Look to alcohol as a cause of chronic hepatitis. Unlike cirrhosis, caused by drinking over a long period of time, alcoholic hepatitis usually occurs after a short period of increased drinking.
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Step 4
Be sure to have autoimmune hepatitis treated, continuing to see your doctor to check the condition of your liver. It is believed that autoimmune hepatitis is genetic, but without treatment, the chronic condition can cause cirrhosis of the liver.
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Step 1
Be sure to follow up with your doctor after a diagnosis of hepatitis. Without proper treatment, the virus could linger in your body and recur or cause chronic illness.
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Step 2
Expect a series of blood tests, over a period of months or years, to check for the hepatitis virus in your body. The blood tests will also look for factors that indicate that your liver is working normally.
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Step 3
Keep your doctor aware of any changes to your body, including increased fatigue, weakness or irregular menstrual periods. This will help him to diagnose your condition and is especially important if you were previously diagnosed with hepatitis.
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Step 4
Know that chronic hepatitis may not have any outward signs, but may cause an enlarged liver and pain below the rib cage. It may also cause visible, spider-like blood vessels that manifest after a prolonged period of living with the disease.
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Step 5
Have a biopsy to check the level of damage to your liver and confirm chronic hepatitis. The biopsy may also help determine the underlying cause of the hepatitis infection. The only way to definitively diagnose chronic hepatitis is with a liver biopsy.
