What Is Hepatitis A?

the following is taken from the Singapore Health Promotion Board's website (with some additional personal experience written by me, especially the whole of the last part on "Things To Consider"...

for information on other diseases, please refer to the following link: Health A to Z

Hepatitis A is a viral infection that causes the liver to become enlarged, inflamed and tender. There is no chronic (long-term) infection. The virus is excreted in faeces and transmitted through contaminated food and water. Eating shellfish taken from sewage-contaminated water is a common means of contracting Hepatitis A. It can also be acquired by close contact with individuals infected with the virus.

A person is infectious for 2-3 weeks before he or she experiences symptoms and during the first week of illness.

Symptoms

• jaundice (yellowness of the body)
  
• fatigue (mousez72 experienced this about 2 weeks before Hep A was diagnosed)
  
• fever (mousez72 had fever the weekend before Hep A was diagnosed)
  
• loss of appetite (mousez72 also experienced bloating of stomach, pain while eating, drinking and heavy breathing)
  
• nausea and vomiting (mousez72 only vomitted)
  
• pale coloured stools and dark urine (mousez72 had tea-coloured urine and pale stool the weekend before Hep A was diagnosed)
  
• itchy skin (mousez72 was scratching himself the weekend after Hep A was diagnosed)

Prevention Of Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A vaccination is the best protection. Immune globulin can be given for short-term protection. It is given before and within 2 weeks after coming in contact with Hepatitis A virus. The vaccine is recommended for travellers travelling to developing countries and people with chronic liver disease.

Always wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet, before preparing and eating food.

Things To Consider

1. do not take any medicines cos medicines will make the liver work harder


2. rest a lot to allow the body to recover


3. hospitalisation is not compulsory if your family doctor is able to perform blood tests regularly to monitor the liver functions


4. as your liver function improves, the body produces more and more anti-bodies until it plateaus at a certain level


5. you cannot be infected again once you had Hepatitis A (i.e. the anti-bodies stay with you for life) and there is no carrier status for Hep A


6. do not have any communal activities (e.g. communal eating with family and friends)


7. watch your personal hygiene strictly especially toilet hygiene