Millions of people living within the United States are infected with the hepatitis virus. Unfortunately, a large percentage of those infected are unaware of their condition. Hepatitis is a virus that can remain undetected in the body for several years. Even when victims experience mild signs, they put off having their symptoms examined by a physician. In fact, it is estimated that more than half of all victims discover they have the hepatitis virus by accident. In other words, routine blood tests during annual physicals present indicators of a potential problem, and leads doctors to investigate further. There are five different types of hepatitis. The three common types of hepatitis are A, B, and C.

What is Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is a liver infection that is caused by the hepatitis A virus. This type of hepatitis is the most common. In addition, this type of hepatitis is also the mildest form. Those who suffer from liver infections due to hepatitis A generally recover without experiencing any permanent liver damage.

The hepatitis A virus is located in the stool of an infected person. With this being said, many may wonder how a person becomes infected? Since humans do not ordinarily come in contact with the fecal particles of others, it appears that hepatitis A would be impossible to transmit to others. No one wants to think about encountering another person’s stool. However, because many people practice poor hygiene habits, we are more likely to encounter fecal matter from a hepatitis A infected person, than we are to become infected with another form of hepatitis. This is a frightening thought – but true. A person develops hepatitis A when they digest food that contains fecal particles from an infected person. How does this happen?

Of course, no person will knowingly digest contaminated food. However, there are millions of new cases of hepatitis A each year in this country. Most that are diagnosed with the virus hold restaurants responsible. Sadly, there have been incidents when several people diagnosed with the virus ate food at the same restaurant. When this occurs, a restaurant likely employs an infected person. Good hygiene involves washing our hands thoroughly before handling food. However, some people practice terrible hygiene. This includes refusing to cleanse their hands after urinating or defecating. After a bowel movement, fecal particles may pass onto our hands. If our hands are not washed, feces can transmit to anything we touch – including food. Hepatitis A may also occur by eating raw shellfish.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A Symptoms of hepatitis A do not always appear immediately. There have been cases when a person became ill up to seven weeks after being infected. When this occurs, it is more difficult to pinpoint the root. On average, most begin to show signs of infection within a month. Symptoms of hepatitis A include:

Fatigue

Fever Sore muscles

Headaches

Pain on right side of abdomen

Loss of appetite

Jaundice

Hepatitis A is a tricky illness. Generally, symptoms do not appear until the final stages of the illness. During this time, the chances of infecting others with the illness are slim. The illness is more contagious during the early stages, when an infected person is unaware that they are ill.