How does hepatitis affect liver function?

Hepatitis primarily refers to the inflammation of the liver, which can significantly impact its function. The inflammation can be caused by various factors, including viral infections, alcohol abuse, autoimmune diseases, and certain medications. When the liver becomes inflamed, it struggles to perform its essential functions, which include processing nutrients, producing bile, managing blood clotting factors, and detoxifying harmful substances.

This inflammatory response can lead to various complications and symptoms, such as liver pain, jaundice, fatigue, and even more severe liver damage over time, such as cirrhosis or liver failure if not addressed. Recognizing the inflammation aspect of hepatitis is crucial for understanding how it disrupts normal liver processes and leads to a cascade of potential liver-related health issues.

While liver fibrosis can develop as a result of chronic hepatitis due to continuous inflammation and cellular damage, it is not the primary mechanism of how hepatitis initially affects liver function, which is rooted primarily in the inflammatory process. Similarly, while liver regeneration is a remarkable property of the liver, hepatitis typically impairs liver regeneration due to the damage and inflammation it causes. Lastly, inhibition of bile production may occur secondary to liver damage, but inflammation is the foundational process that initiates the complications in liver function associated