Understanding Hepatitis

November 15, 2018
Ali, a physician, presents a lively, understandable guide to a disease that can infect and kill cells of the liver and prevent it from working properly. He begins by describing the triangular liver, weighing in at just more than three pounds and spanning nearly the entire abdomen, as the factory of the body, removing waste and sending nutrients where they're needed. Patients and caregivers will learn that viral hepatitis A and E (found in contaminated food and water) are acute (lasting less than six months) and that B, C and D (transmitted through exposure to infected bodily fluids like blood) can be chronic (lasting more than six months). Ali also discusses more than 100 other liver disorders, including alcoholic liver disease and cirrhosis. The essential glossary also lists hepatitis X, an unknown virus that causes inflammation of the liver, and silymarin, an extract of milk thistle seeds that may help decrease inflammation. Ali's guide may help improve or save lives.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)