In some cases, people with viral hepatitis will not experience any symptoms. However, as liver function begins to fail, chemicals may build up in the blood and symptoms may appear, including:

• Fatigue and malaise
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Yellowing (jaundice) of the skin and the whites of the eyes
• Dark-colored urine that may resemble tea
• Diarrhea
• Fever (low-grade)
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle aches
• Bowel movements that are pale or gray
• Sudden distaste for cigarettes in those who smoke
• Joint pain and itchy hives (in some cases of hepatitis B)

Many of these symptoms can indicate conditions other than viral hepatitis. Individuals experiencing any of these symptoms should notify their physician. Symptoms may appear over different time frames depending on the type of hepatitis involved. For example, people may have hepatitis A for a month before symptoms appear, whereas symptoms of hepatitis E are likely to appear anywhere from 15 to 60 days after infection.