HEPATITIS REFERS TO INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO TOXINS,ALCOHOL MISUSE,IMMUNE DISEASES,OR INFECTION.VIRUSES CAUSE THE MAJORITY OF CASES OF HEPATITIS,INCLUDING ALL CASES OF HEPATITIS A.
3. NATURE OF HEPATITIS A
HEPATITIS REFERS TO
INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER
CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO
TOXINS,ALCOHOL
MISUSE,IMMUNE DISEASES,OR
INFECTION.VIRUSES CAUSE THE
MAJORITY OF CASES OF
HEPATITIS,INCLUDING ALL CASES
OF HEPATITIS A.
4. SYMPTOMS OF HEPATITIS A
FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS(FEVER,FATIGUE,BODY ACHES)
ABDOMINAL PAIN(ESPECIALLY IN THE RIGHT UPPER
QUADRANT)
LIGHT-COLOURED STOOL
DARK URINE
LOSS OF APPETITE
UNEXPLAINED WEIGHT LOSS
NAUSEA
DIARRHEA
JAUNDICE(YELLOWING OF SKIN OR EYES)
SYMPTOMS USUALLY APPEAR 14 TO 28 DAYS
AFTER YOU CONTRACT THE VIRUS.
5. CAUSES OF HEPATITIS A
HEPATITIS A IS A FORM OF DISEASE CAUSED
BY THE HEPATITIS A VIRUS(HAV).THIS IS AN
ACUTE(SHORT-TERM)TYPE OF
HEPATITIS,WHICH USUALLY REQUIRES NO
TREATMENT.
APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILLION CASES OF
HEPATITIS A OCCUR AROUND THE WORLD
EACH YEAR,WITH ANNUAL RATES
INCREASING IN THE UNITED STATES.THE
HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS FORM OF HEPATITIS IS
SPREAD PRIMARILY THROUGH
CONTAMINATED FOOD OR WATER.IT
GENERALLY ISN’T SERIOUS AND USUALLY
CAUSES NO LONG-TERM EFFECTS.A
HEPATITIS INFECTION USUALLY GOES ON ITS
OWN.
6. MODE OF TRANSMISSION
PEOPLE DEVELOP A HEPATITIS A INFECTION AFTER
CONTRACTING HAV.THIS VIRUS IS TYPICALLY
TRANSMITTED BY INGESTNG FOOD OR LIQUID
CONTAMINATED WITH FECAL MATTER THAT
CONTAINS THE VIRUS.ONCE TRANSMITTED,THE
VIRUS SPREADS THROUGH THE BLOODSTREAM TO
THE LIVER,WHERE IT CAUSES INFLAMMATION AND
SWELLING.
YOU CAN CONTRACT HEPATITIS A BY:
- EATING FOOD PREPARED BY SOMEONE WITH THE
HEPATITIS A VIRUS
- EATING SEWAGE;CONTAMINATED RAW SHELLFISH
7. TREATMENT
AVOID ALCOHOL
MAINTAIN A BALANCED DIET
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
LIMIT THE USE OF OVER-THE-
COUNTER MEDICATIONS PER
YOUR DOCTOR’S
SUGGESTIONS
8. IN EXTREME RARE CASES,HEPATITIS A
CAN LEAD TO ACUTE LIVER
FAILURE.THIS COMPLICATION IS MOST
COMMON IN OLDER ADULTS AND
PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE CHRONIC
LIVER DISEASE.IF THIS OCCURS YOU
WILL BE HOSPITALIZED.EVEN IN
CASES OF LIVER FAILURE,A FULL
RECOVERY IS LIKELY. VERY RARELY IS
A LIVER TRANSPLANT REQUIRED.
WITH REST,YOUR BODY WILL MOST
LIKELY RECOVER COMPLETELY FROM
HEPATITIS A IN A MATTER OF WEEKS OR
A FEW MONTHS
USUALLY,THERE ARE NO
NEGATIVE LONG-TERM
CONSEQUENCES OF
HAVING THE VIRUS.
AFTER CONTRACTING
HEPATITIS A,YOUR BODY
BUILDS IMMUNITY TO THE
DISEASE.A HEALTHY
IMMUNE SYSTEM WILL
PREVENT THE DISEASE
FROM DEVELOPING IF YOU
ARE EXPOSED TO THE
VIRUS AGAIN.
9. PREVENTION
THE NO 1 WAY TO AVOID
GETTING HEPATITIS A IS BY
GETTING THE HEPATITIS A
VACCINE.THIS VACCINE IS
GIVEN IN A SERIES OF TWO
INJECTIONS,6 TO 12 MONTHS
APART. FOR INSTANCE: IF YOU
ARE TRAVELLING TO A
COUNTRY WHERE HEPATITIS A
TRANSMISSION IS MORE
COMMON,GET YOUR
VACCINATION AT LEAST 2
WEEKS BEFORE TRAVELLING.
10. REFERENCE
https://www.healthline.com>health
Freedman MS. Ault K, Bernstein H. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommended immunization
schedule for adults aged 19 years or older – United States,2021.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.2021;70(60):193-
196.PMID:33571173
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3357113/.
