All You Need To Know About Hepatitis A

 

Hepatitis A is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation and damage. Inflammation is swelling that occurs when tissues of the body become injured or infected. Inflammation can damage organs.

Viruses invade normal cells in your body. Many viruses cause infections that can be spread from person to person. The hepatitis A virus typically spreads through contact with food or water that has been contaminated by an infected person’s stool.

Hepatitis A is an acute or short-term infection, which means people usually get better without treatment after a few weeks. Hepatitis A does not lead to long-term complications, such as cirrhosis, because the infection only lasts a short time.

You can take steps to protect yourself from hepatitis A, including getting the hepatitis A vaccine. If you have hepatitis A, you can take steps to prevent spreading hepatitis A to others.

Symptoms

Hepatitis A signs and symptoms typically don't appear until you've had the virus for a few weeks. But not everyone with hepatitis A develops them. If you do, hepatitis signs and symptoms can include:

•  Fatigue

•  Sudden nausea and vomiting

•  Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially on the upper right side beneath your lower ribs (by your liver)

•  Clay-colored bowel movements

•  Loss of appetite

•  Low-grade fever

•  Dark urine

•  Joint pain

•  Yellowing of the skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

•  Intense itching

These symptoms may be relatively mild and go away in a few weeks. Sometimes, however, hepatitis A infection results in a severe illness that lasts several months.

Causes

Hepatitis A is caused by a virus that infects liver cells and causes inflammation. The inflammation can affect how your liver works and cause other signs and symptoms of hepatitis A.

The virus most commonly spreads when you eat or drink something contaminated with fecal matter, even just tiny amounts. It does not spread through sneezing or coughing.

Here are some of the specific ways the hepatitis A virus can spread:

•  Eating food handled by someone with the virus who doesn't thoroughly wash his or her hands after using the toilet

•  Drinking contaminated water

•  Eating raw shellfish from water polluted with sewage

•  Being in close contact with a person who's infected — even if that person has no signs or symptoms

•  Having sex with someone who has the virus

Risk factors

You're at increased risk of hepatitis A if you:

•  Travel or work in areas of the world where hepatitis A is common

•  Attend child care or work in a child care center

•  Live with another person who has hepatitis A

•  Are a man who has sexual contact with other men

•  Have any type of sexual contact with someone who has hepatitis A

•  Are HIV positive

•  Are experiencing homelessness

•  Have a clotting-factor disorder, such as hemophilia

•  Use any type of illegal drugs (not just those that are injected)

Complications

Unlike other types of viral hepatitis, hepatitis A does not cause long-term liver damage, and it doesn't become chronic.

In rare cases, hepatitis A can cause a sudden loss of liver function, especially in older adults or people with chronic liver diseases. Acute liver failure requires a stay in the hospital for monitoring and treatment. Some people with acute liver failure may need a liver transplant.

Diagnosis

Doctors diagnose hepatitis A based on symptoms and a blood test. A health care professional will take a blood sample from you and send the sample to a lab. A blood test will detect antibodies to the hepatitis A virus and show whether you have hepatitis A.

Treatment

No specific treatment exists for hepatitis A. Your body will clear the hepatitis A virus on its own. In most cases of hepatitis A, the liver heals within six months with no lasting damage.

Hepatitis A treatment usually focuses on keeping comfortable and controlling signs and symptoms. You may need to:

1.  Rest

Many people with hepatitis A infection feel tired and sick and have less energy.

2.  Manage nausea

Nausea can make it difficult to eat. Try snacking throughout the day rather than eating full meals. To get enough calories, eat more high-calorie foods. For instance, drink fruit juice or milk rather than water. Drinking plenty of fluids is important to prevent dehydration if vomiting occurs.

3.  Avoid alcohol and use medications with care

Your liver may have difficulty processing medications and alcohol. If you have hepatitis, don't drink alcohol. It can cause liver damage. Talk to your doctor about all the medications you take, including over-the-counter drugs.

Prevention

The number one way to avoid getting hepatitis A is by getting the hepatitis A vaccine. This vaccine is given in a series of two injections, 6 to 12 months apart.

If you’re traveling to a country where hepatitis A transmission is more common, get your vaccination at least two weeks before traveling. It usually takes two weeks after the first injection for your body to start building immunity to hepatitis A. If you’re not traveling for at least a year, it’s best to get both injections before leaving.

To limit your chance of contracting hepatitis A, you should also:

•  thoroughly wash your hands with soap and warm water before eating or drinking, and after using the restroom

•  drink bottled water rather than local water in developing countries, or in countries where there’s a high risk of contracting hepatitis A

•  dine at established, reputable restaurants, rather than from street vendors

•  avoid eating peeled or raw fruit and vegetables in an area with low sanitation or hygienic standards

Conclusion 

•  Hepatitis A is an inflammatory disease of the liver caused by a virus

• People at higher risk to be infected with hepatitis A virus include those who use illegal drugs, men who have sex with men, people who live with individuals who have the disease, and people who travel to developing countries.

•  Although people with the disease usually recover, some may develop complications like liver failure.

• You can reduce the chance of infection with hepatitis A virus by good handwashing, drinking only bottled water and using it for tooth brushing, making ice cubes, and for washing fruits and vegetables.