Hepatitis A

We can say that hepatitis A is the safe form of hepatitis, it does not cause chronic or other serious complications of time as it happens in hepatitis B, and it is self-healing, and infection with it provides permanent immunity after recovery, but the bad side is the period of the disease from the appearance of symptoms until their disappearance, which may last from weeks to months, which means absenteeism from work, and the inability to practice all normal daily activities due to the poor state of health of fatigue, fatigue and loss of appetite.

Causes and the method of infection

Hepatitis A is a viral disease caused by the hepatitis A virus, and infection with this virus requires eating food or drink contaminated with the patient's feces, or close contact with the infected person, but it is not transmitted through simple contact such as coughing or sneezing, and the virus may be transmitted by eating food with contaminated hands or by an infected person or carrier of the virus preparing food for another person who is not infected. Undoubtedly, sharing injection needles will cause transmission of the virus.

The virus needs an incubation period in the body for a week, after which symptoms appear. It is most contagious in the incubation period before symptoms appear.

Symptoms

Symptoms take a week to six weeks (the incubation period of the virus in the body) to appear in the patient, symptoms that we may see in the patient include:

• Jaundice, which is yellowing of the color of the skin and eyes

• Mild pain or discomfort in the abdomen, especially the location of the liver (in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen)

• Fatigue and exhaustion

• Low altitude fever

• Diarrhea, loss of appetite

• Nausea and vomiting

• Dark (or tea-colored) urine

• Depressive mood and anxiety

Some people may have no symptoms.

Diagnosis

After the doctor suspects that his patient is infected through symptoms, especially jaundice, he sends a blood sample to the laboratory for examination, where blood tests reveal if the person is infected and also reveals to us if the person has immunity to this disease (through a previous infection and his recovery from it or taking the vaccine).

Treatment

There is no drug that cures hepatitis A, instead we need to know which supportive treatment to give the patient and what to avoid to get the best treatment and the least duration of the disease:

• You must

- Take a recovery period and rest in bed, to allow the body to defend against disease.

- Drink plenty of fluids to compensate for the loss caused by diarrhea

- Eat vegetables and fruits

- Eat dairy products

- Eat foods rich in calories.

- Eat foods rich in minerals and vitamin D, such as whole grains and white rice.

- Eat foods rich in proteins such as eggs, soybeans and nuts.

• You should avoid

- Give any drugs such as paracetamol, as they may harm and harm the liver.

- Alcohol intake  

- Eat salty foods

- Eat iron-rich foods, such as red meat

Prevention

Fortunately, there is a vaccine against hepatitis A, and it is recommended to give it to all one-year-olds along with other routine vaccines.

We can prevent hepatitis A through simple measures in our daily lives that protect us from the hardship, long period and strenuous symptoms of the disease.

Prevention is by avoiding sources of infection, i.e. sources that carry the virus, by:

• Wash hands thoroughly before eating or preparing food as well as when using the toilet.

• We should not participate in food preparation if we have the disease or during its incubation period

• Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly, and cook food thoroughly.

• Avoid intimate contact with the infected person or person carrying the virus

• If you are exposed to the infection from someone who has it, you should go to take the anti-vaccine within a period of two weeks to avoid the appearance of symptoms.

• Ensure that you drink water from clean sources

Duration of illness

The period of illness ranges from two weeks to six months. The patient then recovers and acquires permanent immunity.

Complications of the disease

Complications include a single complication of hepatitis, sudden or acute liver failure, a condition that can lead to death, but is very rare

Prevalence

Hepatitis A is endemic in developed countries. But it can occur all over the world

Incubation period

The incubation period of the hepatitis A virus, i.e. the pre-symptom period, ranges from two to six weeks