Autoimmune hepatitis: signs and types

Autoimmune hepatitis is a dangerous diseaseliver disease. This disease is caused by the fact that the liver directs its protective functions against itself, which means that it not only cannot fight infections, but, in simpler terms, it is engaged in self-destruction. This disease also provokes severe inflammatory processes in the liver. The causes of this disease remain unclear to this day, but two main factors are known that greatly influence the development of this form of hepatitis. This is the external environment and the presence of other infectious diseases in humans. Another interesting fact is that this disease mostly affects young women. Therefore, some doctors associate hepatitis with both genetic chains and hormonal characteristics of a woman's body. Men get sick with it extremely rarely. And if they do, the symptoms are less active.

Visible signs of autoimmune hepatitis

Hepatitis of this kind has both main andaccompanying manifestations. As a rule, the first signs in more than half of patients become visible only after 7-10 years, or even more. At an early stage, hepatitis can only be detected using special tests in the laboratory. The first signs of autoimmune hepatitis are a feeling of heaviness under the ribs on the right side, and the kidneys may also begin to hurt. Disorders of the pancreas and stomach, a sharp decrease in immunity, which is not compensated for by vitamins and a balanced diet are common. Against the background of all these signs, jaundice and general malaise may appear. Autoimmune hepatitis is quite easy to confuse with other types of hepatitis, since its manifestations are identical to the manifestations of general disorders in the liver. But there is a very important factor here: this kind of hepatitis makes itself known very sharply and clearly, as well as all its complications. Having passed tests to detect this type of hepatitis, doctors must determine its specific type in order to prescribe the correct treatment for the patient. In total, three such types have been discovered to date, and each of them has its own characteristics.

The main types of autoimmune hepatitis and their features

The first type of hepatitis manifests itself most quickly.Half of the patients show symptoms three years after infection. Liver cirrhosis also develops quickly, so in this case doctors prescribe corticosteroid therapy. The problem is that it cannot help everyone. Type two is extremely rare, and mostly occurs in young children. This type of hepatitis also affects the kidneys to a significant extent. Due to the fact that the virus of this type is highly resistant to drugs, in most cases a person gets sick again even after the appropriate course of treatment. Finally, the third type is characterized by the production of a large number of strong antibodies to liver antigens. It manifests itself regardless of age and is difficult to treat. However, in medical practice there have been cases of complete recovery. Diagnosis of any of the listed hepatitis is based on the detection of markers of certain antibodies in human blood. Tests are carried out in several stages at certain intervals, since this disease is often associated with ulcers and some types of renal failure.