Many people confuse the hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses, but the viruses are actually quite different, according to Dr. Richard Manch, the medical director of the Banner Good Samaritan Liver Disease Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Hepatitis A is an acute, short-term virus that is easily spread through people or contaminated food and water and tends to get better on its own without treatment. Hepatitis B can be acute or chronic and is spread only through blood or other bodily fluids. Hepatitis C is almost always chronic and is spread only by blood. As you might expect, the symptoms of each virus also vary.
Hepatitis A Symptoms
Symptoms of hepatitis A include fatigue, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain or discomfort around the liver area, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, dark urine, muscle pain, itching and yellowing of the skin and eyes. These symptoms don't usually occur until you have had the virus for approximately one month, and the symptoms can last anywhere from two to six months, according to the Mayo Clinic. Not everyone who is infected with hepatitis A shows symptoms.
Hepatitis B Symptoms
Symptoms of hepatitis B include abdominal pain around the liver area, dark urine, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, weakness, fatigue and jaundice. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of hepatitis B usually occur about two to three months after becoming infected with the virus and can range from mild to severe. However, some people, particularly infants or children, may not show any symptoms at all.
Hepatitis C Symptoms
Although this virus can become serious if left untreated, it is the one with the fewest symptoms. In fact, hepatitis C generally shows no symptoms in its earliest stages, according to the Mayo Clinic. When symptoms do occur, they are generally mild and include fatigue, nausea or vomiting, fever, muscle pain and soreness around the liver area.
