Sometimes, symptoms such as sudden jaundice make diagnosis easy. However, doctors use blood tests to confirm infection. ALT and bilirubin tests reveal that there is a problem with the liver. Then, more specific blood tests determine which strain of hepatitis is the cause.
There is no specific treatment of acute viral hepatitis. Doctors may prescribe a high-calorie diet, with the majority of food eaten in the morning to prevent nausea later in the day. Treatment is aimed at making the patient feel more comfortable.
You can protect yourself against the hepatitis A and hepatitis B virus with vaccines. Within a few weeks these effective vaccines produce long-lasting immunity to hepatitis viruses A and B. If someone has exposed you to either the A or B virus, you need immediate protection in the form of a blood product known as immune globulin.
Most often doctors use interferon alfa to treat chronic hepatitis caused by the hepatitis B or C virus. It is injected daily or several times a week over a period of several months. About half of those who receive the treatment benefit from it; side effects include fatigue, fever, autoimmune thyroiditis, difficulty concentrating, and emotional disturbances. Doctors also recommend interferon alfa for those with chronic hepatitis caused by the hepatitis C virus, but success in eradicating the infection is not as great as with the hepatitis B.
Interferons are released in the body in response to viral infections. Interferons are important for fighting viruses in the body, for regulating reproduction of cells, and for regulating the immune system. Interferon alfa-2b is a specific interferon also has been used to treat hairy cell leukemia, certain cases of genital warts, AIDS-related Kaposi's Sarcoma, and malignant melanoma.
