Hepatitis A: symptoms, care and prevention

Hepatitis A is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation. The virus is commonly passed when food, water or hands become contaminated with tiny amounts of stool from an infected person. It does not become a long-term liver infection, but the illness can leave someone tired and unwell while the liver recovers.

Hepatitis A is a viral liver infection that usually improves with rest, fluids and medical guidance.

Some people have no noticeable symptoms, while others develop a flu-like feeling, reduced appetite, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark urine or yellowing of the skin and eyes. Dark urine and jaundice are very common presentations of hepatitis A; feeling generally unwell, loss of appetite and nausea are common presentations.

Contact a clinician promptly for jaundice, dark urine, persistent vomiting, confusion, severe abdominal pain, or trouble keeping fluids down.

The virus can spread through close household contact, preparing food without careful handwashing, contaminated food or water, and some sexual contact. A person may pass the virus before recognising that they are ill. Careful hand hygiene after using the toilet and before handling food interrupts this route of spread.

Illness can begin gradually and may change from stomach upset and tiredness to jaundice. Recovery is generally supported by rest, regular fluids and avoiding activities that worsen exhaustion. A clinician may monitor recovery when symptoms are significant or liver tests remain abnormal.

Exposure is more likely during travel where sanitation is uncertain, close contact with an infected person, outbreaks linked to food, or work and living settings where hygiene is difficult to maintain. People with existing liver disease should seek clinical advice quickly if they develop symptoms consistent with hepatitis.

A clinician asks about symptoms, recent travel, foods, contacts and medicines, then examines for signs of liver illness. Blood tests can look for infection and show how the liver is responding. A liver function test can help follow inflammation and recovery, alongside other tests selected for the situation.

There is no specific antiviral treatment routinely used for hepatitis A. Care focuses on fluids, small meals if appetite is low, rest and symptom relief recommended by a clinician. Avoid alcohol and check before using pain medicines, herbal products or supplements, because the recovering liver may be more vulnerable.

Tell close contacts and follow local public-health advice. Do not prepare food for others while advised to stay away from that work. Separate towels where practical, clean frequently touched bathroom surfaces, and wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after toilet use and before food preparation.

Most people recover, but severe liver inflammation can require urgent hospital assessment. Seek urgent help for increasing drowsiness, confusion, unusual bleeding, worsening jaundice, marked weakness, or inability to drink. Existing liver disease can make an acute illness harder to manage.

Vaccination can reduce the chance of hepatitis A infection. It may be considered before travel or after a known exposure, depending on individual circumstances and timing. Clean water, well-cooked food and reliable handwashing remain useful safeguards in daily life and while travelling.

A primary care clinician can assess new symptoms, arrange blood tests and advise on preventing spread. Referral to a liver specialist may be appropriate when illness is severe, the diagnosis is unclear, recovery is not progressing as expected, or another liver condition is present.