The liver is the largest organ in the human body. The liver can best be described as a complex chemical factory which performs many functions that are essential for life. A few of these include: changing food into energy, clearing alcohol and poisons from the blood and producing chemicals that the body needs for proper functioning. There are many diseases that can affect the liver. Common among these diseases are various forms of "hepatitis".
Hepatitis is a general term that denotes "inflammation" or "irritation" of the liver. Hepatitis can result from infection (viral hepatitis), chemicals or drugs (toxic hepatitis) or immunologic abnormalities (autoimmune hepatitis). Sometimes hepatitis resolves in a matter of weeks to months with little or no permanent damage to the liver. However if the inflammation last for six months or longer, it is known as chronic hepatitis.
Chronic hepatitis, like multiple other liver disorders, can exist for many years in the absence of symptoms. These disorders can remain undetected until the liver is severely damaged. Hepatitis C and hemochromatosis are just two examples. For additional and more complete information on liver disorders, the following web sites are suggested: