Is autoimmune hepatitis a terminal illness?

Autoimmune Hepatitis, also known as AIH, is a chronic (condition that lasts longer than six months), usually lifelong liver condition. It is an autoimmune disorder; this means your body’s immune system (the body’s defence against illness) attacks your body’s own cells.

Can you recover from autoimmune hepatitis?

The outcome for patients with autoimmune hepatitis is excellent. Survival rates for this condition at transplant centers are well over 90 percent, with a good quality of life after recovery.

What triggers AIH?

Autoimmune hepatitis is liver inflammation that occurs when your body’s immune system turns against liver cells. The exact cause of autoimmune hepatitis is unclear, but genetic and enviromental factors appear to interact over time in triggering the disease.

Is autoimmune hepatitis permanent?

Autoimmune hepatitis is a disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the liver and causes it to become inflamed. The disease is chronic, meaning it lasts many years. If untreated, it can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure. There are two forms of this disease.

How do doctors diagnose autoimmune hepatitis?

What tests do doctors use to diagnose autoimmune hepatitis? Blood tests. Your doctor may order one or more blood tests to help diagnose autoimmune hepatitis. Imaging Tests. Your doctor may order imaging tests of your abdomen and liver. Liver biopsy. During a liver biopsy, a doctor will take a piece of tissue from your liver.

Will autoimmune hepatitis kill you?

Without treatment, nearly 50 percent of patients with severe autoimmune hepatitis will die within five years. It is important to keep in mind, however, that this statistic comes from studies focused on patients with severe forms of the disease.

How do you test for autoimmune hepatitis?

Autoimmune hepatitis often occurs suddenly. Initially, you may feel like you have a mild case of the flu. To confirm a diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis, your doctor will use blood tests and a liver biopsy, in which a sample of liver tissue is removed with a needle for examination in a laboratory.

What are the signs and symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)?

fatigue