What is hepatitis A?

The virus enters through the digestive system and then affects liver function. Some infected people have few or no noticeable symptoms. Others feel generally unwell with fever, tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, pale stools, or yellowing of the skin and eyes. Symptoms can appear after an interval following exposure. Hepatitis A is different from forms of viral hepatitis that can persist for a long time; a clinician should assess the illness rather than relying on symptoms alone. Transmission is linked to hygiene and contaminated food or water, not to a person's character or cleanliness.

Rest, drink enough fluid to avoid dehydration, and choose small meals if nausea reduces your appetite. Wash hands with soap and running water after using the toilet and before handling food. Do not prepare food for others while ill. Avoid taking medicines or supplements that may affect the liver unless a clinician or pharmacist has checked them for you. Medical assessment can include a Liver Function Test. Hepatitis A Vaccination can help prevent infection in suitable people; read more about Hepatitis A.

Arrange medical advice for yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, persistent nausea or vomiting, marked tiredness, or worsening abdominal pain. Contact a clinician promptly after a known exposure, even if you feel well. Seek urgent help for confusion, severe drowsiness, fainting, or inability to keep fluids down. Dark Urine and Feeling Generally Unwell are useful symptoms to describe, but they do not establish the diagnosis.

Ask whether your symptoms fit hepatitis A, which medicines to pause or avoid, whether liver testing is needed, how to protect household contacts, and whether vaccination is appropriate.