What is hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a contagious and dangerous liver disease it is causes by a virus. This virus is a type of hepatitis virus that causes inflammation of the liver and affects the liver’s ability to function.
Hepatitis A can be spread through contaminated food and water and close contact with an infected person. Mild cases of this disease A do not require any special treatment, and most people recover without any permanent liver damage.
Symptoms of Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A symptoms usually do not appear until the virus has lived in your body for a few weeks.
It may have the following symptoms
- Tiredness
- Dark colored urine
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially in the area of the liver
- Mild fever
- Joint pain
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
If you have hepatitis A, you may feel mild malaise (sickness) for a few weeks or experience severe illness. Not everyone with this disease A develops symptoms.
Stages of Hepatitis A
Acute phase:
In the first six months of infection with this disease, the problems are very intense. Symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice). In most cases, its symptoms go away within a few weeks. However, if your immune system is not able to fix this problem on its own, then your problem takes the form of a chronic and persistent disease. It is worth noting that due to lack of symptoms, chronic hepatitis C is sometimes not recognized till Salin.
Chronic phase:
Most of the number of the people in the world who have suffer with this disease, the disease make place and home in our body and its symptoms take years to appear to visible. It starts with inflammation in the liver and later the cells of the liver start dying. Fibrous thickening and swelling occurs in the liver tissue (tissues) of the victim after fifteen to twenty years in 20 percent of cases of this disease.
Liver Cirrhosis:
When healthy liver tissue is permanently replaced by wound tissue, the liver is so damaged that it cannot heal on its own. Due to this, blood starts flowing in the veins of the esophagus. Also, when the tissue is unable to remove the toxins inside it, they dissolve in the blood and can damage the brain.
Click Here to Read More About Liver Cirrhosis
Last stage:
Chronic hepatitis C can lead to liver damage, liver cancer, and death. This occurs when the entire liver has been damaged due to this disease and cannot function properly. Symptoms of the late stage of the disease include fatigue, jaundice, loss of appetite, abdominal swelling, and strange thinking also bleeding in the canal and damage to the brain and nervous system.
Hepatitis A causes
Hepatitis A infection usually spreads when a person touches or swallows a contaminated substance. Although Hepatitis A virus always attack and infects liver cells and it causes serious inflammation. This disease can affect and alter liver function and cause other symptoms of this disease.
Hepatitis A virus can be transmitted in the following ways
- Drinking contaminated water
- Eat fish from a polluted pond/river.
- Making physical relation with someone who has the virus
- Close contact with an infected person, even if they have no symptoms.
- Eating from the hands of someone who does not wash his hands well after entering the bathroom
When does the risk of hepatitis A increase?
- You are more likely to get hepatitis A if someone previously infected
- If you are suffer from a blood clotting disorder, such as hemophilia.
- Use inject able or non-inject able illegal drugs.
- Although you live with someone who has this disease
- If You travel or work in areas with high levels of hepatitis A.
- If You are infected with HIV.
- You are a man you will interact and intercourse with other men.
- You have sex with someone (male/male) who already has hepatitis A
Click Here to read more about Hepatitis B
Prevention of Hepatitis A
The first way to prevent this disease is to get the hepatitis A vaccine.
This vaccine is given in a series of two injections spaced six to 12 months apart. If you’re traveling to a country that doesn’t pay much attention to hygiene and hygienic behavior, get the hepatitis A vaccine at least two weeks before that trip. It usually takes two weeks for your body to build up immunity after this disease vaccine. If you are going to travel after a year, then take both the vaccines before travelling.
You should also take the following measures to prevent Hepatitis A
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before eating or drinking and after using the toilet.
- In developing countries or countries where the risk of hepatitis A is high, drink bottled water instead of local open water.
- Avoid eating raw and cut open fruits and vegetables in unhygienic places.
- Dine at reputable restaurants instead of street vendors.
Diagnosis of Hepatitis A
After learning about your symptoms, your doctor may do a blood test to check for the presence of a viral or bacterial infection. The blood test itself can give information about the presence (or absence) of the disease virus in your body.
Some people have only a few symptoms of hepatitis A and no signs of jaundice. But, without obvious signs of jaundice, it is difficult to diagnose any form of this disease through a physical examination. When you have fewer symptoms, hepatitis A may be undiagnosed leads to complications.
Hepatitis A treatment
There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. Your body treats this disease on its own. In most of the cases disease of hepatitis A, our liver heals and recover by own self within six months.
Hepatitis A treatment generally depends on rest and symptom control. You may also need the following
Rest
People with hepatitis A often feel tired, sick, and lack energy. Get enough rest to control these symptoms.
Nausea management
Feeling sick can make it difficult to eat. Instead of eating an entire meal in one sitting, try eating small amounts of snacks throughout the day. To get enough calories, eat high-calorie foods. For example, try to drink fruit juice or milk in place of water. It is important to drink more fluids to avoid dehydration when vomiting occurs.
Avoid alcohol and drug use with caution
The liver may have trouble digesting drugs and alcohol. If you have this disease, don’t drink alcohol. in the disease of Hepatitis A drinking alcohol can cause more damage to the liver. Talk to your doctor about all the medications (even common over-the-counter medications) you’re taking.
Lifestyle changes and home remedies.
You can take the following steps to prevent passing hepatitis A to others:
- If you have hepatitis A, avoid all sexual activities. Sexual activity can also transmit the infection to your partner. Always remember that condoms never provide 100% of protection.
- Wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and changing diapers – rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds, wash your hands well with water, and then wipe them with a clean towel.
- Don’t bring food to other people when you’re infected because doing so can easily pass your illness on to other people.
Complications of Hepatitis A
In very rare cases, hepatitis A can lead to acute liver failure. This complication is more common in the elderly and in people who already have chronic liver disease. If this happens, you will be hospitalized. Even in cases of liver failure, you are likely to make a full recovery. A liver transplant is rarely needed.
