Hepatitis A : Cause, Symptoms , Prevention

webmd.com

Hepatitis A is a disease that can attack the liver and is caused by a viral infection. The 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, some other symptoms will arise, namely dark urine, pale stools, jaundice, and itching. Also, a right upper abdominal area will also be a pain, especially if it is 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 out of 10 will experience jaundice.

Cause and Transmission of Hepatitis A

The reason for this disease is viral hepatitis A can be spread very quickly. How the spread primarily through food or water that has been contaminated by the stool of people with hepatitis A. Some of the risk factors that can increase the dissemination of this virus include:

Poor sanitation.
Direct contact with sufferers.
Sharing needles.
Having sex with a sufferers, especially anal sex.
Men who have sex with men.
Working in areas related to dirt, e.g., sewers.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A

The initial symptoms that can occur include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fatigue and pain in muscles and joints. When you start developing your liver, some symptoms will arise, namely dark urine, pale yellow-colored stools, jaundice and swelling heartache if the upper right abdomen is pressed.

Not all people with hepatitis A will show the symptoms. Therefore, the disease is sometimes difficult to realize. The period since the entry of the virus until the symptoms of hepatitis A takes about 14-40 days. But the incubation period experienced by most people with the disease about three weeks.

People with hepatitis A in children under six years of age tend to be asymptomatic. Only one of the ten who experienced jaundice. Whereas in adolescents and adults, the disease usually causes more severe symptoms and about seven in 10 will experience jaundice.

Prevention of Hepatitis A

Prevention of hepatitis A key is to keep clean. This can be done with simple steps such as:

Always wash your hands with soap and clean water, for example, before eating, before preparing food and after using the toilet.
Do not share personal items such as toothbrushes or towels.
Do not lend each other tableware.
Always cook food until cooked and boil the water to boil.
Avoid snacks vendors who clean less intact.
Avoid consumption of raw foods derived from contaminated waters, such as oysters.

Prevention of hepatitis A infection can be prevented through vaccination performed twice with an interval of 6-12 months. The vaccine is recommended for those at high risk of hepatitis A, such as people with a chronic liver disease, men who have sex with men, people who use needles as users of illegal drugs and the people who work in areas related to the dirt like a sewer.

Tags : disease

Hepatitis A : Cause, Symptoms , Prevention