Understanding Hepatitis A Disease

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Understanding Hepatitis A Disease

Hepatitis A is a disease that attacks the liver and is caused by a viral infection. Number of people with this disease in the world is estimated to reach 1.4 million in each year. While in Southeast Asia alone, cases of acute hepatitis A affects about 400,000 people per year with a mortality rate of up to 800 people. Most people with hepatitis A are children.

The initial symptoms that may appear include fever, nausea, vomiting, pain in joints and muscles, as well as diarrhea. When the liver has started developing, there are some other symptoms that will arise, namely dark urine, pale stools, jaundice and itching. In addition, upper right abdominal area will also be hurt, especially if pressed.

But not all sufferers experience symptoms of hepatitis A. Therefore, the disease is sometimes difficult to realize. Only one of 10 patients with hepatitis A under six years old who experienced jaundice. Whereas in adolescents and adults, the disease usually causes more severe symptoms and about seven in 10 will experience jaundice.



Causes and Transmission of Hepatitis A

The cause of this disease is hepatitis A virus can be spread very easily. How to spread primarily through food or water contaminated by the feces of people with hepatitis A. Some risk factors that can increase the spread of this virus include:

- Poor sanitation.

- Direct contact with sufferers.

- Sharing needles.

- Having sex with a person, especially anal sex.

- Men who have sex with men.

- Working in an area associated with dirt, for instance sewers.



Step Treatment of Hepatitis A

This disease has no specific treatment step because the immune system will eliminate the virus by itself. A hepatitis treatment step is aimed to relieve the symptoms experienced by infected. Handling includes taking reliever itching, pain, nausea and vomiting as prescribed. The liver also need to be allowed to rest for example by not drinking and be careful with medications that can affect the liver.

People with the time required to recover fully from the disease is usually several months. Successful people with full recovery will have immunity against the disease.



Complication risk Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A infection usually does not cause long-term liver disease (chronic) and are rarely fatal. However, the disease has the potential to cause liver failure, especially in those who already have heart disease before the patient is infected with hepatitis A and seniors. In addition, in some people with this infection can recur or come back again.



Ways to Prevent Hepatitis A

Because the spread primarily through consumption of contaminated things, the prevention of hepatitis A major step is to keep clean. This step can be done easily, for example, always wash your hands, avoid consumption of raw or undercooked foods and avoiding snacks vendors.

In addition, the hepatitis A vaccine can prevent this disease. Especially for those at high risk such as people who suffer from chronic liver disease, people with hemophilia and injection drug users.




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