Hepatitis A Virus is Contagious, Learn Hep A Symptoms and Treatment

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Hep a symptoms and treatment involve fatigue and getting enough rest, as people with hepatitis A infection usually feel sick, tired, and have less energy.

Hepatitis A is caused by hepatitis A virus, it is a widely known disease especially in areas with high levels of infection. These areas with poor sanitary and hygiene standards, for example, Indonesia and Bali Island. You are at risk of getting infected if you travel to countries where there is an outbreak of hepatitis A. People may get hepatitis A if they live or have direct contact with an infected person, infection can also occur after consuming food or water that has been contaminated with the virus. Unlike hepatitis B or C, this disease is rarely dangerous and will not lead to chronic condition. In many cases, children often transmit this disease. Hep A symptoms and treatment usually include fatigue, nausea, and treatment can be done by having plenty of rest because the infected person will easily feel tired and sick.

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Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is generally a liver infection and it’s considered very contagious. This virus can cause inflammation to the liver and affect the function of the liver. People can get infected with hepatitis A after consuming food or water that has been contaminated with feces from someone who has the virus. The virus can also be transmitted if an infected person’s feces comes in contact with your skin. Furthermore, hepatitis A can be passed if someone has sexual contact with an infected person. Hepatitis A will not cause chronic liver disease and infected person will have a full recovery. However, the healing process may take a while for some people. In some cases, the condition lasts for a few weeks while in some severe cases, it can last for months. In the meantime, learn more about hep A symptoms and treatment to take care of the disease during the recovery process.

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Hep A Symptoms and Treatment

Hep A symptoms and treatment usually involve feeling and looking sick. Common treatments include resting and getting an injection of immunoglobulin (an antibody) to treat after exposure infection, or hepatitis A vaccine to protect you from infection. People infected with hepatitis A virus may not always show symptoms, but when they do, these symptoms will usually appear between 15-50 days or 2 to 4 weeks after contact with the virus. Common hep A symptoms and treatment are as follows:

Feeling very tired;
Fatigue;
Fever;
Dark urine;
Nausea and vomiting;
Loss of appetite;
Yellow eyes and skin (jaundice);
Abdominal pain;
Joint pain;
Diarrhea.

READ The Length of Travelers Diarrhea: How Long Does it Last?

Treatment

Hepatitis A usually doesn’t need a specific medication to cure it. Hep A symptoms and treatment can be done with supportive care until the disease is gone and the patient is fully recovered. You can also consult with a doctor to test if your liver is working well. During the recovery process, consider doing these steps to treat your symptoms:

Get yourself enough rest

Hepatitis A virus will make you feel less energized and easily tired.

Manage your nausea by trying to keep food down

Nausea can make eating hard to do, try to have snacks rather than eating full meals and consume more high-calorie foods, drink milk and fruit juice instead of water. Vomiting may cause dehydration, so getting fluids is recommended to keep you hydrated.

Avoid drinking alcohol

Alcohol can cause liver damage and it may be difficult for your liver to process medications and alcohol.

Hepatitis A vaccine or immunoglobulin

Doctor will give an injection of immunoglobulin as an antibody after exposure. In addition, vaccination is recommended for people traveling to high risk areas where hepatitis A is common, infants between 6 to 11 months old who are traveling abroad, people with liver disease, men who have sexual activity with other men, people who use illegal drugs, and people with blood clotting disorders.

If you or someone you know got infected with hepatitis A, do not hesitate to book a doctor to your location through Medi-Call Application or simply contact Medi-Call Hotline at +62 81210783387.