The first signs and symptoms of hepatitis A in men, women and children

1. general information
2. Hepatitis A in children
3. Virus actions
4. Hepatitis A in adults
5. Risk group
6. Preventive measures

Manifestation hepatitis symptoms And in the adult population and children is almost no different. For most cases, the disease is characterized by discoloration of the skin, the acquisition of a yellowish tint, but sometimes external signs are absent, the disease manifests itself only at the stage of inflammatory processes of the liver.

A person becomes infected if in contact with the patient, consumes water, food contaminated with feces. Protection against the virus is ensured by timely vaccination and adherence to preventive measures.

general information

The disease, depending on various factors, occurs in a mild or severe form, causing complications associated with food infectious diseases. Representatives of world medical organizations have noted a constant increase in the number of infected, hepatitis is observed in children, adults. There are areas where the virus has reached the size of an epidemic.

People fall under the mass infection by drinking polluted water products. All contact with the carriers of the virus themselves become patients through physical contact. It is not possible to pick up the virus by chance, the infection is transmitted through the oral-fecal method, by contact with blood, urine or feces. Speech about airborne infection can not go.

It is unlikely to become infected in highly developed countries while traveling, which cannot be said about developing and lagging behind. Often there are epidemic outbreaks where sanitary conditions are violated and water is polluted. The virus is not afraid of weather changes, temperature extremes, it is more resistant to many environmental factors.

With regard to recovery, in most cases it is successful, the disease does not go to the chronic form, as happens in a species B and WITH . The low mortality rate for hepatitis A disease can be caused only by liver failure. Complications caused by the virus lead to hepatic encephalopathy, gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, gastritis. Children do not have complications, but adults suffer from kidney damage and arthritis.

Hepatitis A in children and adults is divided into several forms, the course of which depends on the degree of neglect of the disease, complications:

• In acute form, patients recover after 21 days. About 95% of infected people experience this form of virus;
• When a child has symptoms of hepatitis A for more than six months, it will take a long time to restore the spleen, liver, get rid of jaundice;
• The worsening of the patient’s health, the poor results of the tests taken contribute to the emergence of an aggravated form. Relapse may occur with the combination of other types of disease. Low immunity in a child can cause these complications;
• The average severity of the disease carries with it damage to the biliary tract due to the active actions of the microbes. Symptoms are considered moderate;
• Combining with other types of infectious diseases does not cause the appearance of new symptoms, except for an enlarged liver. Chances are that the liver will remain enlarged forever.

Hepatitis A in children

Only 40% of patients fall into the category of adult patients, the remaining 60% are children. Unfinished areas are dangerous for children 3-7 years old who have the habit of carrying dirty food into their mouths.

What is Hepatitis A? The virus is called Botkin's disease, it has initial symptoms similar to jaundice.

At the first signs of hepatitis A, symptoms begin that begin 14 days after contact of the baby with an infected person. In the children's body, the level of bilirubin in the blood rises, and before jaundice occurs, the patient feels weak, and the symptoms are similar to cholecystitis or intestinal infection.

To identify the disease, you need to pass tests. After studying the received material for blood donation, the doctor will prescribe an individual treatment method, diet, choleretic drugs, prescribe a course of vitamins.

Seven days before the change of skin color, the urine of the baby becomes dark or brown, and the feces are colorless. The condition will worsen, the temperature will rise to 39 degrees, the child will lose his appetite. Then there will be vomiting, accompanied by diarrhea, pain in the abdomen. After 2-3 days, the temperature will decrease, jaundice will occur. The abundance of bilirubin in the blood leads to the intoxication of the child’s body, which causes vomiting and a rise in temperature.

The color of the skin, of the proteins, changes to pale yellow, lemon, or greenish, but the well-being improves. Symptoms disappear 10 days after yellowing. The processes of the liver deteriorate, it increases in size, despite the fact that the baby feels better.

It is important that the child be observed by the doctor after he recovers. A month later, the first inspection is carried out, after six months the second. To restore strength, the child needs rest, so he is released from physical exertion in school throughout the school year.

Virus actions

Penetrating with liquid, dirty food into the child's body, the virus actively destroys the liver cells. Once in the blood, detoxification begins, pathology disrupts the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and fats. Nutrients, vitamins are no longer absorbed into the body, the blood does not clot well.

Cells under the influence of the virus are not exposed to mass death, the probability of occurrence of cirrhosis is zero. The medical process can take place not in stationary, but at home, taking into account bed rest and all the doctor’s prescriptions.

Hepatitis A in adults

Adults feel the symptoms of infection 25-30 days after contact with the patient. In humans, the temperature will rise for no reason, the well-being will worsen, which will be the first wake-up call. Both women and men are exposed to fever, nausea, vomiting, severe pain in the abdomen, the occurrence of jaundice.

The symptomatology of adults is more pronounced, fever does not subside for a week or longer, muscles ache, there is a general weakness of the body, vomiting does not pass, and painful sensations in the abdomen. As in the case of children, after a while, the color of feces and urine changes, and later the skin shade, the eye area, becomes yellower. Yellow shade lasts at least 14 days.

What are the possible consequences? If you do not seek medical care, there is a high probability of liver failure, and as a result of which it is fatal.

Sometimes the symptoms are not manifested by fever, and the occurrence of diarrhea or constipation, decreased appetite and performance, insomnia, deterioration of the general condition. The treatment is carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the doctor, the recovery is judged by the results after checking the tests. Samples of the liver return to normal, and the size of the body decreases, becoming habitual.

We must not forget that about 30% of sick adults do not experience jaundice symptoms. There are cases of mechanical jaundice, disappearing after 45 days or more. With this type of disease there are no signs of intoxication, the body itches, gets a shade of green.

Symptoms of the disease indicate some form of virus:

• In the light form, temperature changes are insignificant, intoxication is poorly expressed, the liver slightly increases in size. The duration of jaundice does not exceed 10 days, and after 4 weeks the organ acquires its previous size;
• The type of moderate severity is due to the average level of symptoms, enlargement of the spleen, jaundice recession after 14 days. A moderate severity affects about a third of all patients;
• About 1-3% of patients suffer a severe form. Symptomatic pronounced, there is severe vomiting, bleeding from the nose, dizzy. For a child, this form is extremely dangerous, as it will take several years to restore an enlarged spleen and liver. When inspecting the area of ​​the affected organ there is a terrible pain.

Risk group

Anyone who has not been vaccinated may become infected with the virus. This is especially true of the following situations:

1. If a person uses drugs by injection;
2. Lives together with the infected;
3. Having sex with a partner suffering from an acute form of hepatitis A;
4. Without vaccination, travels to endemic areas;
5. It is not possible to drink purified water without admixture of feces;
6. With a poor epidemiological environment, non-compliance with sanitary standards.

Preventive measures

Upon contact with an infected person, there is a high probability that the virus will enter the body, the symptoms of which will appear no earlier than after 14 days. Every three days after the detection of infection in the body should be examined. There is a set of rules to avoid infection:

• Wash your hands after using the toilet , when returning from a walk, use ordinary or antibacterial soap;
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating;
• If there is an infected in the house, it is necessary to clean the toilet, dishes with special means to avoid the virus.

When it is necessary to go to an endemic area, there is a need to follow special rules to reduce the risk of virus infection:

• When traveling, it is advisable not to be in a rural area where food and liquids may be infected;
• It is forbidden to eat raw fruits, vegetables, and mollusks, if there are doubts as to how they were stored, whether sanitary standards were observed;
• Do not forget about washing hands, respecting the rules of personal hygiene;
• Do self-cooking to avoid infection.

The most effective method to protect yourself, make a vaccination. For babies developed vaccines used from two years of age. In areas with impaired sanitation, immunoglobulin is administered in the fall and winter to take preventive measures.