How hepatitis affects your liver 

Hepatitis can last a few months, or the rest of your life, depending on the type. 

Acute hepatitis 

When you only have hepatitis for a short time, we call it "acute". The virus might make you sick for a few months but then you will likely get better. Some people may feel unwell or experience symptoms. But most people do not get seriously ill if they have acute hepatitis. 

Chronic hepatitis 

It's possible to have hepatitis for more than 6 months. If you have hepatitis B or C, it can become “chronic”, meaning the virus stays in your body for a long time. You may not feel sick, but over time the virus can harm your liver and stop it working properly. 

Over a long time, this damage can lead to scarring. We call this "fibrosis". If the liver is severely scarred, this is called "cirrhosis", and it affects the blood supply to the liver.  If you have a lot of scarring, the liver stops working. This is liver failure. If you have cirrhosis, you have a higher risk of getting liver cancer. It can also lead to problems in the rest of your body.