Hepatitis

Chronic viral hepatitis is a liver disease caused by infection with a virus. Many viruses can cause this disease. The most common chronic viral hepatitis in the U.S. is called hepatitis C. In the U.S. alone, 19,659 people died of hepatitis C in 2014. Most people infected with the hepatitis C virus do not have any symptoms at the time of infection. The disease progresses slowly and may lead to gradual destruction of the liver called cirrhosis. Hepatitis B is the second most common cause of chronic viral hepatitis in the U.S. As opposed to hepatitis C, however, hepatitis B usually presents initially as an acute disease with jaundice and abdominal pain. Only a small fraction of patients infected with the hepatitis B virus will progress to chronic hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis. Both chronic hepatitis C and B can be successfully treated in many patients. More info about Hepatitis

As board-certified hepatologists, the physicians of Premier Gastroenterology are highly qualified to treat patients with hepatitis.