Can a Person Get Hep a Again

Hepatitis A (Hep A)

Medically Reviewed past Minesh Khatri, MD on Dec 05, 2021

What Is Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A, too called hep A, is a contagious liver infection caused past the hepatitis A virus. Some people have merely a mild disease that lasts a few weeks. Others accept more severe problems that can terminal months. You commonly get the disease when you eat or beverage something contaminated by poop from a person who has the virus.

The hepatitis A virus usually isn't dangerous. Almost everyone who has it gets better. But because it tin can take a while to go away, you lot'll demand to take care of yourself in the concurrently.

Hepatitis A Symptoms

If you have this infection, the virus is causing inflammation in your liver. Some people, especially many children, don't have symptoms. Others might have:

• Jaundice (xanthous eyes and skin)
• Abdomen pain
• Dark urine
• Loss of appetite
• Upset stomach
• Vomiting
• Itching
• Stake-colored poop
• Joint pain
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue

These problems tend to go away after well-nigh 2 months but might keep coming back for upwardly to six months.

You tin spread the hepatitis A virus even if you lot experience fine. You lot can also spread it most ii weeks before your symptoms announced and during the first week afterward they show upwards.

Hepatitis A Causes

You can grab the illness by drinking h2o or eating food that's been contaminated by someone with the virus. You tin can also go hepatitis A if you:

• Swallow fruits, vegetables, or other foods handled or prepared past a person who has the virus
• Eat raw shellfish harvested from water where the virus lives
• Consume contaminated ice
• Have sexual activity with someone who has information technology
• Bear on your mouth subsequently touching a contaminated object

Hepatitis A Risk Factors

You could be at higher risk of getting the illness if you:

• Have close contact with someone who's infected
• Travel to countries where hepatitis A is common
• Are homeless
• Use recreational drugs, even without needles
• Have a blood clotting disorder like hemophilia
• Work with primates
• Have HIV

Also at college risk are:

• Men who accept sex with men
• Kids in child care and their teachers

Hepatitis A Diagnosis

Your doctor volition first enquire about your symptoms and cheque for high levels of liver enzymes in your blood. Then, they'll exercise more claret tests to expect for:

• IgM (immunoglobulin Thousand) antibodies. Your body makes these when you lot're first exposed to hepatitis A. They stay in your blood for about three to 6 months.
• IgG (immunoglobulin K) antibodies. These show up after the virus has been in your body for a while. You may have them all your life. They protect yous against hepatitis A. If you test positive for them but non for IgM antibodies, it means y'all had a hepatitis A infection in the past or had vaccinations to protect against information technology.

Hepatitis A Handling

No medication can get rid of the hepatitis A virus once y'all take information technology. Your physician volition treat your symptoms -- they may call this supportive care -- until it goes abroad. They'll also exercise tests that cheque how well your liver is working to be sure your body is healing like it should.

You can take these steps to make yourself more comfortable:

• Get some remainder. You lot'll probably feel tired and sick and take less energy than usual.
• Try to keep food downwardly. The nausea that sometimes comes with hepatitis A can make it tough to eat. Information technology may exist easier to snack during the twenty-four hours than to swallow total meals. To make sure yous get enough nutrients, go for more high-calorie foods and drink fruit juice or milk instead of water. Fluids will likewise help proceed yous hydrated if you're throwing up.
• Avoid alcohol. Information technology's harder for your liver to handle medications and alcohol when you lot have the virus. Plus, drinking tin lead to more than liver damage. Tell your medico almost any medications you lot have, including over-the-counter drugs, as these might also hurt your liver.

Hepatitis A Complications

The virus usually doesn't cause any long-term bug or complications. Rarely, you lot may have liver failure or need a transplant.

Hepatitis A Vaccine

The vaccine to prevent it is about 95% effective in healthy adults and tin can work for more than xx years. In children, it's about 85% effective and tin last 15 to 20 years.

Experts recommend that sure people become vaccinated:

• Travelers to countries with more than hepatitis A infections
• All children ages thirteen-23 months
• All children and adolescents ages 2-18 who did not previously receive a vaccine
• Families adopting children from countries where the virus is common
• Men who take sex with men
• People who have a blood clotting problem
• Those experiencing homelessness
• People who have direct contact with a person with the virus
• People who utilise recreational drugs
• People who have long-term liver illness
• Anyone else who wants to be protected against the virus
• The hepatitis A vaccine includes ii injections half dozen months apart. A combination vaccine for hepatitis A and B has three shots over 6 months.

Hepatitis A Vaccine and Travel

If you're going to a country where hepatitis A is common and you've never had the virus or the vaccine, get-go the vaccination process equally presently as you can. It takes 2 to 4 weeks after the first dose for the vaccine to work, but even one shot a few days earlier you leave will requite you some protection.

People who are allergic to something in the vaccine and children younger than 6 months might instead get a shot of immune globulin (IG), which will protect confronting hepatitis A for up to ii months.

Hepatitis A Prevention

The vaccine is your all-time defense. If you come into contact with someone who has hepatitis A, you lot can get the vaccine or an IG shot inside 2 weeks for some protection.

Good hygiene is too important. Ever launder your easily with soap and water after using the bathroom, before and after handling nutrient, and after changing a diaper.

When you lot travel to a place with poor sanitation, don't drink tap h2o or eat raw food.

Hepatitis A Transmission Prevention

When you take hepatitis A, accept these steps to continue from giving it to others:

• Avoid all sex.
• Launder your hands later you use the bathroom or alter diapers.
• Don't ready food for other people.

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Source: https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/digestive-diseases-hepatitis-a

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