Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A Symptoms
What Are the Symptoms of Hepatitis A?
Many people with hepatitis A infection have no symptoms at all. Symptoms
may be so mild that they go unnoticed. Older people are more likely to have
symptoms than children. People who do not have symptoms can still spread the
virus.
Symptoms of hepatitis A usually develop between 2 and 6 weeks after
infection. The most common symptoms of hepatitis A include:
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- diarrhea, especially in children,
- low-grade fever,
- loss of appetite,
- rash,
- tiredness, fatigue,
- jaundice,
- darkish brown urine, and or
- pain in area of liver.
Reference: eMedicineHealth.com. Hepatitis A
What is hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a liver disease. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver.
Inflammation is the painful, red swelling that results when tissues of the body
become injured or infected. Inflammation can cause organs to not work properly.
What is the liver?
The liver is an organ that does many important things.
- removes harmful chemicals from your blood
- fights infection
- helps digest food
- stores nutrients and vitamins
- stores energy
You cannot live without a liver.
What causes hepatitis A?
The hepatitis A virus causes hepatitis A. Viruses are germs that can cause
sickness. For example, the flu is caused by a virus. People can pass viruses to
each other.
Who gets hepatitis A?
Anyone can get hepatitis A, but some people are at higher risk, including
- people who travel to developing countries
- people who live with someone who has hepatitis A
- people who use illegal drugs, including noninjection drugs
- men who have sex with men
How could I get hepatitis A?
You could get hepatitis A through contact with an infected person's stool.
You could get hepatitis A from:
- eating food made by an infected person who didn't wash his or her hands
after using the bathroom
- drinking untreated water or eating food washed in untreated water
- placing a finger or object in your mouth that came into contact with an
infected person's stool
- having close personal contact with an infected person, such as through sex
or caring for someone who is ill
You cannot get hepatitis A from:
- someone sneezing or coughing on you
- sitting next to a person who has hepatitis A
- hugging an infected person
