Abantu abanengi abale-viral hepatitis ngeke babe lezimpawu  ekuqaleni. Ungaba le-hepatitis iminyaka noma kwamatshumi eminyaka ungakwazi. Kodwa nxa kungela kwelatshwa,  ihepatitis B le C kungabangela izinkinga zesibindi kanye le-fibrosis (ukutsha kwesibindi lokhu kungalungisiswa lapho sibanjwa kuselesikhathi), i-cirrhosis (uhlobo lomonakalo ongapheliyo wesakhiwo lokusebenza kwesibindi) kanye lemvukuzane zesibindi. 

Ezinye zezimpawu zokuqala eziyisixwayiso zesifo sehepatitis zihlanganisela ka:
- ukukhathala
- ukuzizwa ungaphatheki kahle
- izinkinga zesisu lokwehla kwesisindo
- i-jaundice (lapho isikhumba noma amehlo abe yellow)
- ukuhlanza
- ukushintsha komubala womchamo (ibe mnyama) noma i-poo (ingaba mnyama noma ibelula)

Ungaba  lenye yalezi iziphawu ungabi leinye. Kodwa noma zingekho izimpawu, ukutheleleka kungenzeka kulimaze isibindi, ngakho-ke kubalulekile ukuthi uhlolwe nxa ucabanga ukuthi usengozini.

Igama elithi 'hepatitis' litsho ukuvuvuka kwesibindi. Ngakho-ke, isifo sehepatitis singaba lezimbangela ezitshiyeneyo, zonke ezibangela  ukuvuvuka lokulinyazwa kwesibindi kusenze singasebenzi kahle..

ihepatitis ingabangelwa ngendlela yokuphila ( okuhlanganisela ukuphuza  utshwala kumbe ukubhema), izici zokufuza, noma izifo ezibangelwa amagcikwane. Inengi le-hepatitis emhlabeni libangelwa yizifo ezibangelwa ngamagcikwane.

Kulamagcikwane amahlanu ayinhloko e-hepatitis, okuhlanganisa:

I-Hepatitis A: Lokhu kudluliselwa ngokudla lamanzi okuye kwadluliselwa lokuhlangana lama-poo abantu abalegcikwane. Kukhona ivakhisini engavimbela i-hepatitis A.

I-Hepatitis B: Lokhu kusakazwa egazini. Ngokuvamile isuka kumama iye enganeni. Kuzimo ezingavamile, ingadluliselwa ngocansi kanye lokwabelana ngezinto zokuhlaba. Kukhona ivakhisini yokuvimbela i-hepatitis B.

I-Hepatitis C: Lokhu kuvame ukudluliselwa egazini lokuthinteni kwegazi. I-Hepatitis C ingelatshwa ngemithi elwa lamagcikwane.

I-Hepatitis D: Lokhu kuthinta kuphela abantu asebevele belesifo sehepatitis B. Singadlulela ngegazi lokuthinteni kwegazi noma ocansini. Ayikho ivakhisini ye-hep D, kodwa ukuba levakhisini yehepatitis B kuzosiza.

I-Hepatitis E: Lokhu kuhlotshaniswa lokudla inyama yengulube engaphekangwa noma i-shellfish. Ngokuvamile kuyikutheleleka okuthambile futhi okufitshane kodwa kungaba kubi kakhulu kubantu abalamasotsha omzimba abuthaka.

Nxa kungenzeka ukuthi ubusengozini yokuthola i-hep B noma i-hep C, kubalulekile ukuthi uhlolwe. Nxa usekwazi ukuthi ulegciwane ungathola ukwelatshwa. Lokhu kuzokusiza ukuthi uhlale ulempilo futhi uvimbele isibindi sakho ekulimaleni kwesikhathi esizayo.

Hep B:
Ukuhlolwa kwegazi kungakhangela ama-antigen e-hep B (izingxenye zegciwane ngokwalo). Ukuhlolwa kungakhombisa ukuthi ulayo yini i-hep B kusukela emasontweni angu-6 kusiya-12 ngemva kokutheleleka. Kuzimo eziningi, i-hep B ingasuswa emzimbeni ngaphandle kokwelatshwa, ikakhulukazi nxa uvakhisinethelwe i-hep B. Kodwa-ke, kwabanye abantu, ukutheleleka kuzodinga ukwelatshwa ukuze kuvinjelwe ukulimala kwesibindi.

Hep C:
Ukuhlolwa kwegazi kuzodinga  amasotsha omzimba e-hep C. Lezi ziyingxenye yamasotsha akho omzimba futhi zizokhombisa ukuthi umzimba wakho uke wahlangana yini legciwane le-hep C. Umphumela opositive ekuhlolweni kwe-antibody kungatsho ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi ulegciwane manje noma ukuthi uke waba lalo ngesikhathi esidlulileyo. Ukuze ube  kwazi ukuthi ulayo yini i-hep C manje, ukuhlolwa kwe-antibody kuzodingeka kulandelwe yi 'kuhlolwa kwe-PCR inani wegcikwane egazini'. Abantu abale-HIV bangahlolwa inani legciwane egazini kuqala, njengoba ukuhlola amasotsha omzimba kungaba kungaqondi kahle  kangako kubo. I-Hepatitis C ingelapheka ngokwelatshwa okuqondile okulwa ngamagciwane.