Also
known as: Infectious Hepatitis
Myths
dispelled
Here are some facts to clear up some common misconceptions.
Hepatitis
A is not the same as hepatitis B or C.
Nor is hepatitis A is the only form of infectious hepatitis.
Intro
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of your liver, and is commonly
transmitted sexually among men who have sex with men, though anyone
can get it. The good news is that there is a vaccine that prevents
hepatitis A. If you're not vaccinated and you get the infection,
you become immune to any future recurrence. Even so, you're still
susceptible to other types of hepatitis, which are also infectious.
What
is it?
Hepatitis A is a virus that infects your liver cells. The disease
begins slowly and many times you don't even realize that you have
it. In fact, you find out at some future date that you have antibodies
to the virus, which indicates a prior infection. Hepatitis A is
rarely fatal, but hospitalization may be required to control its
symptoms. Unlike other types of hepatitis, type A does not become
chronic. The illness generally runs its course in six to eight
weeks and your liver fully recovers. You're usually contagious
before you know you are ill.
Diagnosis
Doctors diagnose hepatitis A with a blood test that measures your
liver function. Inflammation of the liver can destroy its cells,
and liver enzymes spill into your blood. If your blood test reveals
these enymes at an elevated level, you probably have hepatitis,
and your doctors will then search for the cause. Hepatitis A is
specifically diagnosed by checking your blood for antibodies to
the virus or prensence of virus particles. When any of these are
present, you have or have had the infection.
Symptoms
Feeling tired is the most common symptom (you may feel like you
can't get out of bed), followed by loss of appetite, nausea and
vomiting (that worsens as the day progresses) and loss of your
desire for cigarettes. Jaundice (when your skin and eyes turn
yellow) is also a very common symptom, as is darkening of your
urine. You might also have a dull pain in your upper abdomen.
In severe cases, you may have problems with bleeding and poor
blood clotting (your liver manufactures substances crucial to
blood clotting; liver damage hurts the process).
How
do you get it?
Hepatitis A passes between people via a "fecal/oral"
route. And no, you don’t have to eat shit: rimming an infected
partner can give you the virus, as can kissing. You also risk
infection when you take off that condom and forget to wash your
fingers before they end up in your mouth. Eating raw shellfish
from contaminated waters or food prepared by infected workers
can also give you hepatitis A.
How
to treat it?
There's no medication to treat hepatitis A once you have it. Often,
treatment is commonly called "supportive": your nutrition
level and liver function are carefully monitored by your doctor.
You mustn't drink alcohol, no matter what type of hepatitis you
have, until your liver completely heals. If you get nauseous,
try to eat more in the morning, when nausea is usually less severe.
You must get lots of rest. The more tender love and care (TLC)
you receive from loved ones, the better you'll feel. Hospitalization
is rare, and you may be given medication to decrease nausea.
Anyone
with hepatitis A should be vaccinated against hepatitis B.
Prevention
Hepatitis A is a completely preventable disease, and vaccination
will prevent infection. The vaccines for Hepatitis A and B are
different, and one won't protect you from the other! If you've
previously had hepatitis A, you can't catch it again.
The
hepatitis A vaccine is given in two doses spaced 6 to 12 months
apart. Most people become immune within one month of the first
injection. The vaccine is extremely safe, and the most common
side effect is a sore arm. If you're exposed to hepatitis A and
are not immune to it, you can get an immune globulin shot within
two weeks of exposure to help keep you from becoming infected.
There's
no need to barricade yourself from someone with hepatitis A. Just
keep your dishes separate, abstain from having sex with the infected
person, and thoroughly wash your hands after bodily contact and
you should be fine. If you get vaccinated against hepatitis to
begin with, then you won't have to worry!
Incubation
period
The incubation period is extremely variable, but it averages two
to six weeks.
Sex
Refrain from sex with a partner who has hepatitis A until the
infection is completely gone. Rimming is a common way for hepatitis
A to pass between partners. Not washing your hands after touching
a used condom can lead to a hepatitis A infection.
Prevalence
There are 125,000 to 200,000 hepatitis A infections and about
100 subsequent deaths each year in the United States.
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