Diagnosing Hepatitis E: An Overview
When diagnosing
hepatitis E, your healthcare provider will begin by asking questions about your medical history, including questions about:
- Symptoms
- Current medical conditions
- Current medications
- Family history of medical conditions
- Any recent travel
- Alcohol and/or drug use
- Sexual history.
He or she will also perform a physical exam to look for signs and symptoms of hepatitis.
Hepatitis E symptoms and signs are indistinguishable from
hepatitis A or
hepatitis B symptoms. Therefore, tests will be needed in order to make a hepatitis E diagnosis.
Tests Used for Diagnosing Hepatitis E
If your healthcare provider suspects hepatitis E, he or she will order certain tests that help in diagnosing it. Some of these tests look at certain levels of liver enzymes in the blood (these tests are known as liver enzyme tests). Other tests look for antibodies that the body has made against the hepatitis E virus. Unfortunately, these antibody tests are not widely available.
Diagnosing Hepatitis E -- Or Is It Another Medical Condition?
A number of other diseases have signs and symptoms that are similar to those seen with hepatitis E.
Your healthcare provider will consider these conditions and rule them out before diagnosing hepatitis E. Some of these conditions include:
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