Hepatitis A: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatments, Remedies

cdc.gov

Tensed about if you are one of them with Hepatitis A? Then relax ,as it takes lesser time to heal unlike hepatitis B and C and thus it’s completely harmless.

So what is Hepatitis A? It’s nothing but an infectious disease caused by HAV virus. According to WHO reports, about 7,134 people died due to this disease.

Let’s have a look at its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatments and remedies along with short FAQs at the end.

Symptoms of hepatitis A

The signs of hepatitis A are seen after a few weeks of infection. These may include:

•Pain:Abdomen, muscles, joints

•Stomach issues:Vomiting, nausea and poor appetite

•Fever

•Yellow skin and eyes

•Dark coloured urine

Causes of hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is mainly caused by-

Food 

It is the common medium through which this virus is spread.

Water

Drinking contaminated water can infect a person with HAV.

Sexual Contact

Another common way to spread HAV virus is through sexual means of contact

Raw Shellfish

Eating raw shellfish from sewage water also lead to HAV infection.

Diagnosis of hepatitis A

As HAV infection are found mild, therefore, tests aren’t important part for those suffering from this infection.

But still doctor may order few basic tests:

Blood Tests for HAV

It is done to detect the level of liver enzymes off course, and also to look for the following antibodies namely:

a.IgM (Immunoglobulin M) antibodies 

This first antibody produced in the blood of the person when exposed to HAV is IgM. It stays for about 3 to 6 months.

b.IgG (Immunoglobulin G) antibodies

If tests positive for IgG but not for IgM ,it means that the person was having hepatitis A or recently had vaccination to protect from HAV. While, a negative test result indicates the absence of HAV at past times.

Treatments for hepatitis A

Well, doctors may not prescribe any medication after tests. So what they do is to provide patients with home based treatments and self care tips which are as follows:

As there’s no medicine needed for HAV, so doctors usually recommend to take rest and to eat more nutritious food.

Hydrating the body more with fluids such as water is an important process to activate the recovery speed.

However, doctors might recommend taking Intravenous fluids (or IV fluids) depending on the condition that the person is in.

Home Remedies

There’s no specific home remedies for hepatitis A.

But, as I said, proper exercising, eating protein rich food ,and fruits, and having a lot of sleep and water are the best possible remedies that one should follow.

Read More: https://www.health-niche.com/healthy-foods-for-critical-situations-in-life/

What to avoid?

There’s nothing more dangerous for your liver than consuming alcohol.  It is known responsible for increasing liver inflammation and lowering the immunity level in your body.

  • Contaminated water and food

The main cause of hepatitis A is having unclean water and food as mentioned before. Hence, avoiding it as much as possible will give better results.

Conclusion

Certain precautions should keep in mind to recover fast.

Thus ,keeping good hygiene, not sharing personal items such as towels, brushes etc., washing hands regularly and consuming clean water and food is enough.

Although hepatitis A has no serious chronic stage like hepatitis B and C, but going for checkup and taking vaccine after diagnosis is a must to do. And especially, if the person is travelling across the parts of the world such as Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America where this virus is common.

FAQs

Does hepatitis A go away on its own?

: Yes, it can go away on its own but after a few months. But it also depends on certain factors such as whether the disease is at chronic stage or not.

Is there any vaccine for hepatitis A?

: Yes, there is vaccine .

Does hepatitis A require isolation?

: Yes, as it is highly contagious disease.

What is the incubation period of Hepatitis A?

: 14-28 days

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