Breaking down Hepatitis A

By Sara Diamond
Anchor / Medical Reporter / WJHL
Published: June 18, 2008

Some possible symptoms include:
Fatigue
Fever
Sore muscles
Headache
Pain on the right side of the abdomen, under the rib cage (where the liver is located)
Nausea
Loss of appetite and weight loss

Hepatitis A goes away on its own.  There is no medication to treat it.  However, you can treat the symptoms and avoid spreading it to others.
First, slow down.  Don’t stay in bed all day, just reduce your activity level
Eat right
Stay hydrated
Avoid alcohol and drugs

If you have been around someone whom you know has Hepatitis A, getting the Hepatitis A vaccine within 2 weeks of exposure may prevent you from contracting the virus.

If you think your well water is contaminated, drink bottled water, or disinfect your water before drinking it.
You can do that by boiling or adding 1/8 teaspoon (or eight drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach to a gallon of water, stirring to mix and letting it stand for 30 minutes before using.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A usually begin to go away on their own in about 2 weeks.  You an still spread the infection to others as long as you have symptoms, because your stools carry the virus.

The best way to prevent contracting Hepatitis A, is to wash your hands after using the toilet and before preparing food.  Also, thoroughly wash your dishes, and prevent children from putting objects in their mouths, especially shared toys.

For more information, click on these websites:
http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/hepa-guide/default.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/a/index.htm
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hepa_ez/
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/hepatitis_a/article_em.htm