Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver. Most commonly we think of viral hepatitis caused by several different viruses - A, B, C, Delta and Infectious Mononucleosis. Medications may also cause hepatitis.

Hepatitis simply refers to inflammation of the liver.  Anytime the liver is irritated or inflamed for whatever reason, not just viruses, we call that hepatitis.  Causes include hepatitis viruses such as hepatitis a, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and in fact now there are others, mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus, and many other viruses.

In addition, hepatitis may be caused by medications, probably the most dramatic one is Tylenol.  In fact that's why Tylenol intake should be limited although we all think of it as a drug with no side effects.  There are many other medications that can cause hepatitis including cholesterol-lowering drugs, some heart medications, some antibiotics, and in fact the list is very long.

Currently becoming one of the most common causes of liver transplantation is something called Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.  This is a condition in which one who does not drink alcohol has a disease whereby the liver appears, on biopsy, exactly like the person was drinking very heavily.  There is another condition called Hepatic Steatosis.  This is disease in which the liver has a large amount of fat within it yet appears to be a very benign condition that does not need specific treatment.

There are many other conditions that can cause hepatitis including Lyme disease, CMV infections, autoimmune diseases, and less common diseases confined to the liver.  Obviously if you are ever told that your liver tests are high you should see your physician.