Hepatitis A is a form of hepatitis brought about by the hepatitis A virus. This is considered as an acute form that does not require any treatment. Hepatitis involves inflammation of the liver due to exposure to toxins, immune diseases, alcohol abuse or infection. Viruses are responsible for causing most cases of hepatitis.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious form that spreads via contaminated water or food. Luckily, it is not serious and does not have any lasting effects and settles on its own.
Indications
Children below 6 years of age do not have any symptoms if the virus is acquired. Older children, teenagers and adults generally develop mild symptoms such as:
- Flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches and fatigue
- Dark urine
- Abdominal pain (at the right upper quadrant)
- Light-colored stool
- Jaundice
- Unexplained weight loss
- Appetite loss
The indications typically arise 15-50 days after acquiring the virus.
What are the causes?
An individual develops hepatitis A after acquiring the hepatitis A virus. The virus is generally acquired after ingesting food or liquid contaminated by fecal matter that contains the virus.
If ingested, the infection spreads via the bloodstream to the liver where it triggers inflammation and swelling.
Aside from transmission from eating food or drinking water containing the virus, it also spreads via close personal contact with an infected person. The virus is highly contagious and can easily pass the disease to others.
Management
There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. Since it is a short-term viral infection that settles on its own, the treatment is aimed on reducing the symptoms.
After a few weeks of rest, the symptoms of hepatitis A generally start to settle on its own. Measures to ease the symptoms include the following:
- Avoidance of alcohol
- Increasing the intake of water
- Maintaining a healthy diet
With adequate rest, the body is likely to recover completely from hepatitis A in a few weeks or months. Generally, there is no lasting effects of acquiring the virus.
Once the virus is acquired, the body establishes immunity to the disease. If the individual has a healthy immune system, it prevents the disease from developing if exposed to the virus in the future again.