Acute hepatitis A is a liver disease that occurs as a result of human infection with the virus of the same name. In the process of this disease, an inflammatory process occurs in the liver of the infected, which affects the state of his entire body.
This article will address issues such as:
- Causes of hepatitis A infection.
- Hepatitis A symptoms and treatment.
- Vaccination for hepatitis A.
- The incubation period of this disease.
- Medicated hepatitis (symptoms and treatment).
- Toxic hepatitis.
- Alcoholic hepatitis (symptoms, treatment).
- Hepatitis prognosis.
Causes of hepatitis A infection
Infection can occur due to violations of basic hygiene rules. The use of dirty water, unwashed vegetables and fruits can lead to infection with this disease. It is also necessary to be careful when in direct contact with a sick person, since hepatitis A is transmitted by household means.
The virus can exist on the handsinfected within a few hours. On the remnants of food, it also remains for a long time. If there is a person with hepatitis A in your home, sharing utensils and personal hygiene items is prohibited, as this can lead to infection of all family members.
The way of infection with this disease is fecal-oral, therefore, with homosexual (bisexual) contacts in men, such a transmission route as sexual is possible. Hepatitis A is not transmitted through heterosexual contact.
Incubation period for hepatitis A infection
The incubation period of this disease lasts an average of a month. At this time, the virus multiplies in the blood of a sick person, reaching the target organ (liver), as a result of which damage to its cells and tissues begins.
Clinical manifestations of hepatitis A begin only after the dysfunction of the body occurs due to insufficient functioning of the affected organ.
The duration of the incubation period varies from 10 to 50 days and depends on several factors:
- On the virulence, as well as on the nature of the pathogen.
- On the amount of virus that entered the human body.
- From the state of immunity and / or compensatory properties of the patient's systems.
- Depending on the method of infection (with blood transfusion, the incubation period is reduced).
Hepatitis A symptoms and treatment
One of the first symptoms of hepatitis A are signs of inflammatory processes in the liver of a sick person. As a result, at first observed:
- Increase in body temperature (period of 4 to 10 days).
- Weakness and malaise.
- Muscle pain.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Loss of appetite.
The next stage of the disease, occurring a few days after the onset of the first signs, is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Black urine.
- Fecal Lightening.
- Yellowness of the skin and sclera of the eye.
In some cases, the disease is asymptomatic, most often it occurs in children. Hepatitis A is not a severe disease and often goes away on its own. To alleviate the symptoms, the doctor may prescribe the necessary therapy aimed at removing intoxication and improving the patient's well-being. Vitamins may also be prescribed to increase the body's resistance to infection.
Intravenous drips with glucose or saline are prescribed to cleanse the blood of toxins and cleanse the liver. In addition, with this disease, it is recommended to take hepatoprotectors aimed at maintaining liver cells and quickly restoring its vital functions.
Hepatitis A symptoms and treatment are similar to those of other types of viral hepatitis. However, it should be noted that this type of disease, among others, is the most "harmless" and easily treatable.
Hepatitis A diagnosis
Early diagnosis of hepatitis A is impossible due to lack of brightpronounced symptoms. To make a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to clarify the patient's epidemiological history by interviewing the patient.
During the examination, the doctor detects signs of the disease and compares them with the results of biochemical and general blood tests. The patient's stool and urine tests are also evaluated.
An analysis like blood for hepatitis A contains information about the state of the liver, the degree of its damage. The final confirmation of the disease is the presence of antibodies to this virus in it.
Forecasts
As noted earlier, the symptoms and treatment of hepatitis A are similar to other types of viral hepatitis. Despite the fact that this disease is the least life-threatening, in extremely rare cases, acute liver failure can develop, resulting in coma and death. In addition, damage to the biliary tract can occur, which is a complication of the disease. But such serious consequences of hepatitis A are extremely rare.
In most cases, the prognosis for this disease is favorable. If medical recommendations are followed, the disease rarely causes complications. Hepatitis of the liver in this case passes without causing serious consequences for the body. After recovery, the function of the organ is fully restored, even with a severe course of the disease.
Also, this type of viral hepatitis does not develop into a chronic sluggish form. When cured, a person who has been ill receives lifelong immunity to hepatitis A.
What should family members do when in contact with a sick person
Hepatitis A virus is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. All family members, as well as sexual partners of a sick person, should contact the local clinic. In this situation, doctors recommend quarantine to all relatives of the patient. After recovery, it is necessary to disinfect the personal belongings of the sick person and those items that he used.
For prophylaxis, an injection of immunoglobulin at a dose of 0.02 ml/kg of body weight is possible. If there was a single contact with the patient, drug prophylaxis is not carried out.
To avoid hepatitis A infection, it is enough to follow the basic rules, using individual cutlery and personal hygiene items. Hands should be washed regularly and thoroughly with disinfectants.
Hepatitis A vaccination
Hepatitis A vaccine is given intramuscularly by injecting dead virus. In risk groups, mandatory vaccination is necessary, which guarantees almost 100% protection against this disease for up to 20 years. Vaccination is also effective in viral outbreaks.
Vaccination side effects are relatively rare. The most common complaints are pain and redness at the injection site, as well as headache.
Compulsory vaccination against hepatitis A is shown to the following list of citizens:
- Persons traveling to endemic areas.
- Water and sewer workers, as well as vacuum cleaners.
- For servicemen.
- Injection drug addicts.
- Personnel of any children's institutions.
- Patients with chronic (including viral) liver diseases.
- Gay and/or bisexual men.
- Patients receiving coagulation factor preparations.
- Food and grocery store workers in endemic areas.
Contraindications for vaccination are:
- Acute SARS.
- Exacerbation of any chronic disease.
- Allergy to vaccine components.
Medicated hepatitis: symptoms and treatment
When taking certain drugs, a common disease such as drug-induced hepatitis can develop. It is diagnosed by a biochemical blood test.
Many drugs, when they enter the human body, are excreted with the help of the liver, which takes on the entire burden of removing toxic substances from drugs. At the same time, drugs often cause such a devastating blow to the organ that symptoms resembling those of hepatitis occur.
Many substances contained in the medicine have contraindications, in which it is undesirable to use them for people with any liver dysfunction. If you need to take two or more drugs, the risk of damage to the organincreasing.
Symptoms of drug-induced hepatitis
Drug-induced hepatitis of the liver is accompanied by the same symptoms as any other type of disease: loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, bitter belching, digestive problems, a feeling of heaviness and pain in the right hypochondrium, jaundice, dark urine and lightening of the feces. It is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own, therefore, if these signs appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Treatment of drug-induced hepatitis
Drug hepatitis in the absence of timely medical care can turn into such a serious disease as cirrhosis. Treatment should be prescribed by a specialist after laboratory diagnosis. The therapy is based on the following principles:
- Cancellation (replacement) of the drug that caused liver disease.
- Detoxification therapy - the fastest possible removal from the patient's blood of the remains of substances that damage the liver.
- Taking hepatoprotectors - drugs aimed at the rapid restoration of liver cells (Essentiale Forte, Heptral, etc.).
Toxic hepatitis
As a result of various toxic substances entering the human body, such a serious disease as toxic hepatitis can develop. Symptoms, treatment of this disease are similar to the signs and drug-type therapy.
Poisonous substances, poisoning human blood, provoke the destruction and death of liver cells,which entails consequences of varying severity. The state of the liver is affected by such industrial poisons as:
- arsenic;
- pesticides;
- phosphorus;
- phenols;
- aldehydes and others.
Also, a detrimental effect on a vital organ is produced by excessive and chronic use of alcohol and certain herbal remedies (ragwort, mustard, as well as the poisons of some mushrooms).
Chronic hepatitis
A group of liver diseases resulting from various factors are called chronic hepatitis. This disease is characterized by a protracted inflammatory process in the liver tissue, which lasts for at least six months.
Chronic hepatitis in most cases is provoked by pathogens of types B, C, D. Such types of this disease are also common:
- Autoimmune hepatitis.
- Medicated hepatitis.
- Alcoholic liver damage.
In a disease such as chronic hepatitis, the symptoms and treatment are similar to those already described. The main difference in the treatment of various viral hepatitis is that, in addition to taking hepatoprotectors, expensive and potent antiviral drugs are prescribed (Ribavirin, PegIntron, etc.).
Conclusion
"Hepatitis" in Latin means "liver". In medicine, this is the name for a number of diseases that cause inflammation and / or damage to liver tissue or cells. The etiology of this disease is different, butless, there are a number of similar features that unite its various types. One of the main signs is the symptomatology, signaling a violation of the normal functioning of the liver.
The most common disease in our time is viral hepatitis. A new method of treating such an ailment is the development and use of modern experimental drugs. There are types of viral hepatitis (for example, hepatitis C) that cannot be completely cured, so scientists working in medical research institutes are striving to develop innovative treatments aimed at curing these diseases.
To prevent various types of hepatitis, one should not only monitor the state of one's own diet, but also be attentive to personal hygiene. In addition, violations of the integrity of the skin cannot be taken lightly, as in some cases this can lead to infection with viruses.
