Icteric hepatitis

Speaking of icteric hepatitis, it is really a very serious disease. It not only damages the health of the liver, but also may endanger the patient's life, especially for infants and young children. If they suffer from icteric hepatitis, it is more likely to cause some complications. Therefore, in the face of icteric hepatitis, I hope that all friends can understand its symptoms and get timely treatment when the disease occurs.

It should also be noted that icteric hepatitis is not only seriously harmful, but also contagious. Therefore, if you suffer from this disease, family members must be careful when taking care of the patient and must observe whether they have symptoms of icteric hepatitis.

Pre-icteric

The period from when the patient first has symptoms to when jaundice appears is about a few days to 2 weeks. At the onset of the disease, patients often feel chills and fever, with a body temperature of around 38°C. A few patients may have a high fever for several days. The more prominent symptoms are general fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, especially aversion to greasy food, fullness and stuffiness in the upper abdomen, yellow urine like strong tea, and loose stools or constipation. During this stage, due to individual differences and complex and diverse patient manifestations, it is easy to be misdiagnosed, and special attention should be paid. For example, some patients present with upper respiratory tract inflammation, similar to a cold. Some patients may experience joint pain and be mistaken for rheumatism.

Jaundice stage

Jaundice appears after the fever subsides. The sclera is often the first to turn yellow, followed by yellowing of the entire body, reaching its peak within a few days to 2 to 3 weeks. Most cases have mild to moderate jaundice. At this time, gastrointestinal symptoms worsen, the liver is enlarged, with tenderness and percussion pain; in a few cases, the spleen is enlarged and can be touched under the marginal margin. Some patients also experience skin itching, bradycardia, abdominal pain and rash. After resting for a few days, the patient's nausea was relieved, vomiting disappeared, and appetite gradually improved. The white blood cell count is generally normal or slightly low, the lymphocyte count is high, and a small number of abnormal lymphocytes may be present. Urine bilirubin and urobilinogen are positive. The serum ALT activity increases significantly, often above 400u, and this period lasts for 2 to 6 weeks or longer.

Recovery period

During this period, jaundice, liver enlargement and other symptoms gradually subside, appetite returns to normal, but mild pain in the liver area still exists. This period lasts an average of one month. In a few cases, jaundice is significant and lasts for several months. Fatigue, liver pain and gastrointestinal symptoms are not very obvious. Liver function shows obstructive jaundice, and ALT is only slightly or moderately elevated. This is called cholestatic hepatitis. Complications: A small number of cases may be complicated by one or more of the following: myocarditis, pericarditis, miliary viral pneumonia, pancreatic necrosis, diabetes, meningoencephalitis, acute polyradiculitis, acute hemolytic anemia, pancytopenia, aplastic anemia, thrombophlebitis, nephritis, orchitis, papular dermatitis, and multiple arthritis.

After understanding the symptoms of icteric hepatitis at each stage, I would like to remind all friends again that if you drink alcohol frequently, it is more likely to cause icteric hepatitis. Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of icteric hepatitis, it is recommended that all male friends should pay attention to protecting the liver, reduce the amount of alcohol consumed, and avoid alcoholism.