Hepatitis is defined as inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis A means that the liver is inflamed following infection of a virus known as Hepatitis A virus. There are many causes of hepatitis other than Hepatitis A viral infection. The causes can be divided into acute and chronic causes. The acute causes of hepatitis are viral infections, toxins, drugs, autoimmune, ischemia, and metabolic diseases. Chronic hepatitis can be caused by viral infections, alcohol, drugs, autoimmune, heredity, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Let’s say you are having hepatitis A infection, treatment for Hepatitis A by Doctoroncall is available to heal you.
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There are 5 types of hepatitis viruses. They are:
- Hepatitis A virus
- Hepatitis B virus
- Hepatitis C virus
- Hepatitis D virus
- Hepatitis E virus
Hepatitis A and hepatitis E virus are transmitted via the faecal-oral route. On the other hand, hepatitis B, C, and D viruses are transmitted through body fluids and blood. Once you suffer from hepatitis, please get proper treatment as untreated hepatitis will progress to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer or also known as hepatocellular carcinoma. A data shows that around 1.4 million of hepatitis A infections occur each year worldwide. faecal-oral route means a person is infected after ingestion of contaminated food and drinks or through person-person contact.
You must know that hepatitis A infection is preventable. The prevention is the best through the administration of vaccines. New cases are declining each year after the vaccination programs for hepatitis A infection were introduced. Similar to other diseases, hepatitis A infection is diagnosed following history taking, physical examination, and investigations.
The symptoms for hepatitis A infection are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Anorexia
- Fever
- Malaise
- Abdominal pain
- Pale stools
- Jaundice
- Pruritus
- Fever
- Liver enlargement or hepatomegaly
- Rashes
- Joint pain
The complications of hepatitis A viral infection are:
- Cholestatic hepatitis
- Relapsing hepatitis
- Autoimmune hepatitis
The investigations to confirm a hepatitis A infection are:
- Blood studies
- Viral serology
- Antibody detection
- Antigen detection
- Abdominal ultrasound
The main features of hepatitis are fever and jaundice. Jaundice can be defined as yellowish discolouration of the skin and mucous membrane. The other causes of fever with jaundice are:
- Malaria
- Leptospirosis
- Syphilis
- Q fever
Other non-infectious diseases that mimic hepatitis A infection are:
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Drug-induced liver injury
- Budd-Chiari syndrome
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Wilson disease
Hepatitis infections are much more common in developing countries than in developed countries. Three components for prevention of this infection for us,
Malaysians are:
- Vaccination
- Administration of immune globulin
- Improvement in hygienic practices
Humans are the only known reservoir for hepatitis A viruses. Hepatitis A infections are usually self-limiting and the treatments are mainly supportive treatment. The use of any medications that are metabolized by the liver should be used with caution. By the means of supportive care, 85% of patients will recover within 3 months. Within 6 months, the recovery rate is 100%.
Who is recommended to go for hepatitis A vaccination?
- All children at the age of one year
- Children from 2 to 18 years old who live in endemic countries
- Individuals who are travelling or working in any country with a high rate of hepatitis A infections
- Men who have sex with a man
- Drug abuser
- Healthcare workers
- Lab workers who are working with hepatitis A virus
- Chronic liver disease patients
- Homeless individuals
Treatment for Hepatitis A by Doctoroncall is available to cure you of hepatitis A infection and also other diseases. Our platform also provides legal medical consultation conducted by competent and registered doctors.