According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), hepatitis (also known as viral hepatitis) causes the liver to swell and interferes with its job, which is to assist in the digestion of food, remove toxins and stockpile energy. Depending on its viral source, hepatitis can be of the A, B or C variety. Alcohol and drug abuse can lead to the disease. Some people with hepatitis experience few if any symptoms, especially in the early stages of the virus. However, there are a number of symptoms associated with hepatitis, including jaundice, (yellowing of the skin and eyes), dark urine, fatigue and abdominal pain.
Hepatitis A
Experts at the Mayo Clinic report that hepatitis A is highly contagious and is spread through food or water that has been polluted by stools from a person who is infected with the disease. For example, a person can catch hepatitis A from drinking contaminated water or failing to wash her hands after changing a diaper.
Abdominal symptoms linked to hepatitis A are pain in the abdominal region, swelling of the liver, a brief flu-like illness that is typically mild but may include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and lack of appetite. A enlarged spleen (located in the upper left corner of the abdomen) may be evident in cases of alcohol-related hepatitis.
Hepatitis B
According to the NIH, hepatitis B is an acute liver infection that is passed by coming into contact with an infected person's blood, semen or other body fluid. Symptoms that are linked to the abdominal area include an upset stomach that mimics flu-like symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C also is commonly spreads through contact with infected blood or by having sex with a person who has the disease. The majority of people who have hepatitis C are symptomless for several years, sometimes decades. Possible signs of hepatitis include hepatalgia (tenderness or pain in the liver area) as well as flu-related symptoms.
