overview
Autoimmune hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that occurs when your body’s immune system turns on liver cells. The exact cause of autoimmune hepatitis is unclear, but genetic and environmental factors seem to interact over time to trigger the disease. Autoimmune hepatitis Treatment in Hyderabad
Untreated autoimmune hepatitis can cause scars in the liver (cirrhosis) and possibly liver failure. However, with early diagnosis and treatment, autoimmune hepatitis can often be controlled with drugs that suppress the immune system.
A liver transplant may be an option if autoimmune hepatitis is unresponsive to drug treatments or if you have advanced liver disease.
symptoms
The signs and symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis vary from person to person and can come on suddenly. Some people have little or no problems identified in the early stages of the disease, while others have signs and symptoms that can include:
- Tired
- stomach pain
- Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
- An enlarged liver
- Abnormal blood vessels on the skin (spider angiomas)
- Rashes
- Joint pain
- Loss of menstruation
The reasons
Autoimmune hepatitis occurs when the body’s immune system, which normally attacks viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens, targets the liver instead. This attack on your liver can lead to chronic inflammation and severe damage to liver cells. It’s unclear why the body turns itself on, but researchers believe that autoimmune hepatitis can be caused by the interaction of genes that control how the immune system works and exposure to viruses or certain drugs.
Risk factors
Factors that can increase your risk of autoimmune hepatitis include:
- Be a woman. Although both men and women can develop autoimmune hepatitis, the disease is more common in women.
- A history of certain infections. Autoimmune hepatitis can develop after infection with measles, herpes simplex, or the Epstein-Barr virus. The disease is also linked to hepatitis A, B, or C infection.
- Inheritance. There is some evidence that families may be predisposed to autoimmune hepatitis.
- Do you have an autoimmune disease? People who already have an autoimmune disease such as celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or hyperthyroidism (Graves disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis) may be more likely to develop autoimmune hepatitis. Autoimmune hepatitis Treatment in Hyderabad
