Symptoms of Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by a virus. It goes away on its own in almost every case.

Symptoms of this liver infection will not appear until you have had the virus at least a month. The symptoms that could appear are fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain and discomfort. The abdominal pain and discomfort will be on your right side beneath your lower ribs. This is the area of the liver. Additional symptoms for hepatitis A are loss of appetite, a low grade fever, dark urine, muscle pain and itching. The skin and eyes turn a yellowish color. This is called jaundice. These symptoms can last as long as six months but in most cases they last about two months.

Hepatitis A is caused by infection with the hepatitis virus. This is spread when a person ingests small amounts of contaminated fecal matter. This virus infects the liver cells and causes inflammation. The inflammation can impair liver function and cause other symptoms.

There are several ways that you can contract this virus. Eating out is nice but when someone with the virus handles the food you eat without washing their hands after using the bathroom they could be passing the virus to you.

Drinking contaminated water. Eating raw shellfish from water polluted with sewage could infect you. This type of hepatitis virus is able to spread quickly in day care centers that take care of many children. Workers spread the virus if they do not wash their hands after changing a diaper. Being in contact with a person who is infected could pass the virus to you. Unfortunately the person may or may not show symptoms. Although this is rare, receiving a blood transfusion with blood that contains the virus.

This virus is contagious. Infected people can spread the virus to others without even knowing they are infected. Many people who contact this hepatitis virus do not know how they were exposed.

Unlike other forms of hepatitis, this virus does not lead to long term illness or serious liver damage. You can only get this strain of hepatitis once, after that, your body builds up defense against it.