Treatment of viral hepatitis

Written by Zhang Jian Kang
Infectious Disease
Updated on February 23, 2025
00:00
00:00

Once viral hepatitis occurs, the liver function is obviously abnormal. Patients may have significant discomfort symptoms such as fatigue, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, and bloating after eating. Therefore, the treatment of patients with viral hepatitis mainly consists of two aspects. The first aspect is bed rest combined with a light, low-fat diet. The second aspect is pharmacological treatment. For patients with significantly abnormal liver function, medications that protect the liver and reduce enzyme levels are needed. If significant jaundice occurs, medications to reduce jaundice are required. Additionally, if the viral hepatitis is caused by hepatitis B or C, antiviral medications might be necessary. Only through active antiviral treatment can the damage to the liver by the virus be reduced, and thus better recovery of the patients can be achieved.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ye Xi Yong
Infectious Diseases
47sec home-news-image

Differential Diagnosis of Viral Hepatitis Symptoms

Viral hepatitis is a type of infectious disease primarily characterized by liver lesions caused by hepatitis viruses. Clinically, it manifests mainly as loss of appetite, nausea, discomfort in the upper abdomen, pain in the liver area, and fatigue. Some patients may experience jaundice, fever, and enlargement of the liver area. In some cases, the condition can become chronic and even progress to cirrhosis of the liver or, in a few cases, liver cancer. Acute hepatitis and active chronic hepatitis require hospitalization for treatment, bed rest, a proper diet, and strict abstinence from alcohol. For hepatitis B and C, if antiviral support is available, antiviral treatment can be initiated.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ye Xi Yong
Infectious Diseases
40sec home-news-image

How to treat viral hepatitis

Viral hepatitis is caused by various viruses, primarily affecting the liver and characterized as an infectious disease. Clinically, the main symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal discomfort, pain in the liver area, and fatigue. Some patients may also experience jaundice and fever. Common causes include five types of hepatitis viruses: Type A, B, C, D, and E. Generally, hepatitis B and C can lead to chronic hepatitis. Acute hepatitis is primarily treated symptomatically, while chronic conditions like hepatitis B and C usually require antiviral treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ye Xi Yong
Infectious Diseases
40sec home-news-image

How is chronic viral hepatitis treated?

Chronic viral hepatitis is most commonly found in chronic hepatitis B and C, both of which have long disease courses and complex treatments, and some cases may even lead to lifelong infection. The key to their treatment actually lies in the timely initiation of standardized antiviral therapy. For hepatitis B, the antiviral treatment mainly includes interferon and nucleoside analogues, while the antiviral treatment for hepatitis C can also use interferon, as well as direct-acting antiviral drugs. The treatment for both diseases involves timely, standardized, and complete courses of antiviral therapy.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Jian Kang
Infectious Disease
49sec home-news-image

What fruits to eat for viral hepatitis?

Viral hepatitis patients can eat most fruits as there are not many restrictions, and fruits generally are good to eat. Fruits contain a high amount of vitamins, especially vitamin C, which can help repair the liver when consumed by patients. However, for some special patients, especially those with cirrhosis or liver failure who are at risk of bleeding, or even after a significant gastrointestinal bleeding, eating hard, difficult-to-digest fruits is not beneficial for recovery. Consuming hard fruits might exacerbate bleeding, and eating hard-to-digest fruits might lead to symptoms such as upper abdominal discomfort, poor appetite, and nausea or vomiting after eating.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
43sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of viral hepatitis?

Viral hepatitis often presents symptoms such as fatigue, aversion to oil, nausea, abdominal distension, and poor appetite. Patients with mild viral hepatitis typically show no significant symptoms, while those with severe conditions might exhibit relevant clinical symptoms. Particularly severe cases can also present signs of jaundice, such as deep yellow color of the skin and mucous membranes, deep yellow sclera, itchy skin, and may even experience hepatic encephalopathy, liver coma, etc. Treatment and management should start from the etiology, removing the cause and strengthening liver protection and enzyme reduction as part of comprehensive treatment.