The word "hepatitis" means inflammation or swelling of the liver. Many things can trigger this, and the hepatitis C virus is just one of them. Medications, alcohol, and even some genetic diseases can cause inflammation. (Genetic diseases are ones that are passed down from your biological parents.) Sometimes liver inflammation gets better on its own, but sometimes, as in the case of chronic hepatitis C, treatment with medications is required to stop the inflammation. If you have hepatitis, you need to be very careful not to do things that might irritate your liver even more. Alcohol irritates the liver, even in someone who doesn't have any other liver problems. Summary: "Hepatitis" means inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by: - Genetic diseases
- Medications (including over-the-counter drugs)
- Alcohol
- Viral hepatitis (see next section)
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