What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is diagnosed both through physical examination, which may show the presence of a tender and enlarged liver, and through blood tests that may show elevated levels of liver enzymes and antibodies to Hepatitis A (IgM and IgG). Hepatitis A symptoms generally show up 2 to 6 weeks after one has been exposed to the virus. However, while they are often mild, they often last two to three months. The most common symptoms of Hepatitis A are:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Low grade fever
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Dark coloured urine
- Yellowish skin and eyes
- Pale stools
- Stomach ache
- Diarrhoea
- Lack of appetite
- Pain or tenderness in the area of the liver
A large majority of children and some adults who are infected by the virus may show no symptoms at all.
How Is Hepatitis A Treated?
Treatment for Hepatitis A generally includes rest and exclusion from work for at least a week to ten days. Alcohol is to be totally avoided and in most cases, fat will also need to be excluded from the diet. While the doctor may prescribe medications for the disease, keep in mind that there are a number of common medicines that a person infected with the virus will not be able to take. In case of dehydration due to vomiting, intravenous fluid injection is often prescribed.
How Can One Prevent Hepatitis A?
The best method of preventing Hepatitis A is to get vaccinated against the disease. Hepatitis A vaccination is composed of two shots, the second of which is a booster dose injected 6-12 months after the first one. In case you are not vaccinated, but feel that you have been exposed to the virus, then you should consult your health care practitioner immediately in order to get an immune globulin injection, which is quite an effective method of preventing the disease if taken soon after exposure to the virus.
You may be exposed to the virus if you have consumed food or drink prepared by an infected person, come in close contact with or had oral/anal sexual relations with, or shared drugs with an infected person. Remember that a person can contract Hepatitis A only once in a lifetime, so if you have already been infected once, then you do not need either the injection or the vaccine.
What Are The Other Ways Of Preventing Hepatitis A?
Following the precautions given below will not only help prevent Hepatitis A, but may also save you from a number of other viral and bacterial diseases.
- Wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet and whenever you come in contact with another person's body fluids, stool or blood.
- Always wash hands with soap and water before preparing, handling or eating food.
- Avoid eating and drinking from roadside stalls, especially where there is a proliferation of flies and other insects or those that are situated near drains and toilets.
- Always use bottled water for drinking whenever you are out of the house and consume purified or boiled water when at home.
- When traveling, avoid cut fruit, dairy products, ice and water made from unpurified water, raw or undercooked fish and meat, food that has been prepared a long time ago, and food from street stalls.
Taking these precautions will help you in avoiding Hepatitis A to quite some extent. However, if you have not had Hepatitis A or have not been vaccinated against it, then you should consult a doctor at the first signs and symptoms of the disease in order to prevent liver damage and to prevent your condition from getting worse.
Source: Apollo Munich
Note: Please consult your Doctor for more details and guidance. This is just for the general awareness of the readers
Best Regards
Prakash Nair
No comments:
Post a Comment