Hepatitis A – Causes, Complaints & Therapy

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is an inflammatory disease of the liver, which is one of the notifiable diseases in Germany. The inflammation originates from the hepatitis A virus and can leave permanent damage in the liver.

What is hepatitis A?

The term hepatitis is composed of the Greek word hepan (liver) and titis (inflammation). In the case of hepatitis, a distinction is made between different types of virus. The hepatitis A virus is very insensitive to environmental influences or cleaning agents. There are no drugs against this type of virus, so the therapy is mainly aimed at alleviating the symptoms.

From infection with the hepatitis A virus to the onset of symptoms, it usually takes 25 to 30 days. Two weeks before the disease becomes apparent through jaundice, i.e. the yellowing of eyes and skin, and even a week later, infected people are contagious to other people.

Hepatitis A manifests itself in symptoms such as weakness, nausea and pressure pain in the upper abdomen. After his recovery, the patient is immune to hepatitis A for the rest of his life.

Especially children and travelers from warm countries, where the hygienic standards are worse, often become infected with hepatitis A. The disease often lasts for weeks and months, but is usually harmless in the course.

Causes

The cause of hepatitis A is considered to be the extremely resistant hepatitis A virus. The transmission occurs directly through contact with feces into the mouth or indirectly via food contaminated with feces or drinking water.In the case of food, the unhygienic preparation ensures transmission. Especially fruits and vegetables, but also shellfish and mussels from polluted waters are affected by the hepatitis A virus.

This is very resistant and can survive in cold weather for a long time and cause further infections. Only by decoction can the hepatitis A virus be killed. If contaminated food is consumed or polluted water is drunk, the hepatitis A virus enters the body and damages the liver.

In addition to infection via food, smear infection is also possible in close contact with infected persons. Saliva, urine and feces of the patients contain the harmful hepatitis A viruses, which are transmitted on contact.

When to see a doctor?

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral infection. People infected with hepatitis A must be hospitalized in an infection ward, as they pose a risk of infection for up to two weeks in the acute stage. If hepatitis A is suspected, a doctor must be consulted immediately out of consideration for others.

In Germany, as well as in other western industrialized nations with high hygiene standards, the risk of infection for the general population is low. The disease usually occurs after traveling in high-risk areas. The disease is most prevalent in emerging and developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Popular holiday destinations such as Thailand are also affected. In addition, the disease is much more widespread in Eastern Europe than in the West. Anyone who notices certain symptoms after a trip to these regions should consult a doctor immediately.

Typical for a hepatitis A infection are symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever. Very often, jaundice is added. The affected person recognizes these in yellow-discoloring eyeballs, which is accompanied by a change in the stool, which becomes very light, while the urine takes on a dark, usually brownish color. Anyone who notices such symptoms in themselves must immediately consult a doctor. In addition, all physical contact and the sharing of commodities should be avoided in order to reduce the risk of infection to the social near field.

Symptoms and course

Typical symptoms of hepatitis A:

  • Dark urine

The symptoms of hepatitis A infection are very non-specific. A slight increase in body temperature, nausea, pressure pain in the upper abdomen, and a drop in performance can suggest an infection. This time of the first early symptoms belongs medically to the prodomal phase. The later phase of the disease is accompanied by visible jaundice. Both the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow. The yellow discoloration is caused by bilirubin, which is released as a result of the liver damage. The urine is often dark in color and the stool is light in color.

With the onset of the gel bay, which can last for days to weeks, the previous symptoms recede. Jaundice does not necessarily occur with hepatitis A infection. In older people and children up to the age of six, it often does not occur. Severe courses are rare in the infection and tend to affect older people.

Hepatitis A infection usually has a benign course. A freedom from symptoms is achieved after a few weeks, if there were any symptoms at all. A chronic course is not known. Infection with the hepatitis A pathogen leads to lifelong immunization against the virus. Serious infections that can lead to complications and death are possible. They concern mostly adults. Life-threatening inflammations of the pancreas, heart muscles and lungs are serious and should be prevented in good time.

Diagnosis

A blood test can be used to determine whether someone has hepatitis A. However, not every blood test is automatically checked for hepatitis A – there must be certain suspicions that put the doctor on the trail of liver inflammation, for example a previous trip by the patient to a risk country. Only then will the doctor arrange for liver values such as bilirubin, gamma-GT, GOT or GPT to be determined using a blood count. Disorders of the liver or its function can be very easily detected by the various liver values that result from the blood count.

Particular attention should be paid to the GPT value (glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase, also called ALT) when examining the blood. GPT is an enzyme released into the blood when liver cells break down. Even if there is only slight damage to the liver, the GPT value is increased; it is therefore a particularly effective and reliable indicator in the diagnosis of hepatitis A.

Complications

Hepatitis A is the mildest form of viral liver inflammation. It almost always heals completely. Chronic courses of the disease have not been observed to date. The disease is often asymptomatic. This is especially the case with children. However, in rare cases, hepatitis A can also lead to complications. Especially in patients with previously damaged liver, there is often an acute impairment of liver function. This is particularly the case if hepatitis B or hepatitis C is present in addition to hepatitis A. But other liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis or poisoning and Alcoholism can also lead to acute liver failure with fatal outcome in hepatitis A.

In order to prevent complications, patients should take as little medication as possible during the infection and also avoid alcohol. Furthermore, in patients with a weakened immune system, a fulminant course of the disease with a fatal outcome is also possible. In extremely rare cases, an acute breakdown of stem cells in the bone marrow is also observed in otherwise healthy people. Special immunological processes triggered by the HAV are suspected to be the cause here. However, it has not yet been conclusively clarified which processes are involved here. However, this complication is also very serious and usually ends fatally.

treatment and therapy

It can take up to a month after infection with the hepatitis A virus until the first symptoms appear. After a few weeks, the symptoms usually subside and the infection is over. Bed rest and a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet can help the healing process. Alcohol and medications that stress the liver should be avoided during this time.

Because there are no drugs to treat hepatitis A disease, treatment for hepatitis A focuses on relieving symptoms. Drugs therefore only alleviate side effects of hepatitis A such as Diarrhea or pain. A light diet and abstinence from alcohol are also recommended weeks after hepatitis A infection to prevent a relapse.

Prevention

Various measures protect against hepatitis A, such as a hepatitis A vaccination.This is especially recommended before traveling to high-risk countries or for people from risk groups such as medical staff, homosexuals or people with chronic liver diseases.

The vaccination is usually combined with the hepatitis B vaccination and requires three consecutive vaccinations. Good hygiene also prevents hepatitis A. Regular hand washing protects against smear infection with the hepatitis A virus.

Food should be well cooked before consumption or pour boiled water over it. Caution should also be exercised when drinking water. Only bottled or boiled water should be drunk. Adherence to the precautionary measures, together with vaccination, is an effective protection against hepatitis A.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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