Autoimmune Hepatitis: Causes, Symptoms & Diagnosis. Written by Christine Di. Maria & Elizabeth Boskey, Ph. D. May 1. 6, 2. 01. What Is Autoimmune Hepatitis? As a followup to our look at the root causes of autoimmune illness, this post reviews several natural ways to protect yourself against autoimmune illness. The Autoimmune Solution: Prevent and Reverse the Full Spectrum of Inflammatory Symptoms and Diseases . Viruses cause most types of hepatitis. Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is one exception. This type of liver disease occurs when your immune system attacks your liver cells. AIH is a chronic condition and can result in cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver and (ultimately) liver failure. Causes. Causes of Autoimmune Hepatitis AIH occurs when your immune system mistakes your liver cells for foreign aggressors and creates antibodies to attack them. Doctors do not know precisely why this occurs. However, certain risk factors have been identified, including: a family history of AIHbeing femalea history of bacterial or viral infectionsthe use of certain medications, such as minocycline. Other autoimmune conditions can cause symptoms of liver disease and are also associated with the development of AIH. These diseases include: Grave’s diseasethyroiditisulcerative colitistype I diabetesrheumatoid arthritissclerodermainflammatory bowel disease (IBD) systemic lupus erythematosus. Sj. This is the most common form of AIH in North America. Type II primarily affects girls between the ages of two and 1. While AIH generally occurs in adolescence or early adulthood, it can develop at any age. Symptoms. Symptoms of Autoimmune Hepatitis Symptoms of AIH range from mild to severe. In the early stages, you may have no symptoms, but in later stages, symptoms can appear suddenly. They may also slowly develop over time. AIH symptoms include: enlarged liver (hepatomegaly)abnormal blood vessels on the skin (spider angiomas)abdominal distention (swelling)dark urinepale- colored stools. Additional symptoms that may occur include: yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)itching caused by a build- up of toxins and bile fatigueloss of appetitenauseavomitingjoint painabdominal discomfort. Diagnosis. Diagnosing Autoimmune Hepatitis AIH can be easily confused with other illnesses. Symptoms are very similar to those of viral hepatitis. To make a proper diagnosis, blood testing is required to: rule out viral hepatitisdetermine the type of AIH you havecheck your liver function. Blood tests are also used to measure the levels of specific antibodies in your blood. Antibodies associated with AIH include: anti- smooth muscle antibodyanti- liver kidney microsome type I antibodyanti- nuclear antibody. Blood tests can also measure the amount of immunoglobulin G (Ig. G) antibodies in your blood. Ig. G antibodies help the body fight infection and inflammation. A liver biopsy may sometimes be necessary to diagnose AIH, and can reveal the type and severity of your liver damage and inflammation. A biopsy will involve removing a small piece of your liver tissue with a long needle and sending it to a laboratory for testing. Treatment. Treating Autoimmune Hepatitis Treatment can slow down, stop, and sometimes reverse liver damage. Proper diet for individuals with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and lupus. Leaky Gut Symptoms and Progression. This leads to inflammation throughout your system and can cause symptoms, such as: Bloating; Food sensitivities. Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD (2003/2011): Food list – what to eat and foods to avoid. As the Paleo Diet concept increasingly gains traction worldwide, it has spawned an explosion of copy cat books over the past 3-4 years. Look no further than Amazon. ![]() According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, 7. AIH patients will go into remission. However, remission can take up to three years (NDDIC, 2. Drugs and Medication. ![]() ![]() Immunosuppressant drugs can be used to stop the immune system’s attack. Such drugs include 6- mercaptopurine and azathioprine. ![]() ![]() Taking immunosuppressant drugs may compromise your body’s ability to fight other infections. Corticosteroids, usually in the form of prednisone, can directly treat liver inflammation. They can also serve as immunosuppressants. You will likely need to take prednisone for a minimum of 1. Some patients must continue taking the drug for life to prevent AIH from recurring. Prednisone may cause serious side effects, including diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and weight gain. Surgery. A liver transplant (replacing your liver with a donor organ) can treat AIH. However, the disease can sometimes recur even after a transplant. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), there is a 9. The five- year survival rate is 7. Complications. Complications of Autoimmune Hepatitis Potential complications of untreated AIH include: liver failurescarring of the liver (cirrhosis)liver cancerincreased blood pressure in the portal vein, which supplies blood to the liverenlarged veins in your stomach and esophagus (esophageal varices)fluid accumulation in the abdomen (ascites). ![]() Do you have an autoimmune disease? Do starchy foods tend to make your symptoms worse? Mounting evidence suggests that individuals who have autoimmunity related to a.
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