What I need to know about Hepatitis A

What Is Hepatitis A?

Image of the loacation of the liver in the human body.

Hepatitis A is a liver disease.

Hepatitis (HEP-ah-TY-tis) makes your liver swell and stops it from working right.

You need a healthy liver. The liver does many things to keep you alive. The liver fights infections and stops bleeding. It removes drugs and other poisons from your blood. The liver also stores energy for when you need it.

What Causes Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is caused by a virus.

A virus is a germ that causes sickness. (For example, the flu is caused by a virus.) People can pass viruses to each other. The virus that causes hepatitis A is called the hepatitis A virus.

How Could I Get Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A spreads by touching stool from a bowel movement.

You could get hepatitis A by

Touching an infected person's stool (for example, when changing an infected baby's diaper), and then eating or drinking with your hands.
Eating food made by someone who touched infected stool.
Drinking water made dirty by infected stool (this is a problem in developing countries).
Having anal sex with an infected person.

You might be able to get hepatitis A by kissing an infected person.


Wash your hands after touching stool and before fixing or eating food.

Who Can Get Hepatitis A?

An illustration of two children playing.

Children in day care could get hepatitis A.

Anyone can get hepatitis A.

But some people are more likely to than others:

People who live with someone who has hepatitis A.
Children who go to day care.
People who work in a day care center.
Men who have sex with men.
People who travel to other countries.

What Are the Symptoms?

Hepatitis A can make you feel like you have the flu.

You might

Feel tired.
Feel sick to your stomach.
Have a fever.
Not want to eat.
Have stomach pain.
Have diarrhea.

Some people have

Dark yellow urine.
Light-colored stools.
Yellowish eyes and skin.

Some people don't have any symptoms. If you have symptoms, or think you might have hepatitis A, go to a doctor. The doctor will test your blood.

Illustration of a man in bed.

Bed rest and medicine will help you
get better.

How Is Hepatitis A Treated?

Most people who have hepatitis A get well on their own after a few weeks.

You may need to rest in bed for several days or weeks, and you won't be able to drink alcohol until you are well. The doctor may give you medicine for your symptoms.

How Can I Protect Myself?

Illustration of a Doctor giving a woman a shot.

Vaccines protect you from getting
hepatitis A.

You can get the hepatitis A vaccine.

A vaccine is a drug that you take when you are healthy that keeps you from getting sick. Vaccines teach your body to attack certain viruses, like the hepatitis A virus.

The hepatitis A vaccine is given through a shot. Children can get the vaccine after they turn 2 years old. Children aged 2 to 18 will need three shots. The shots are spread out over a year. Adults get two shots over 6 to 12 months.

You need all of the shots to be protected. If you miss a shot, call your doctor or clinic right away to set up a new appointment.

You can protect yourself and others from hepatitis A in these ways, too:

Wash your hands to protect yourself.

Always wash your hands after using the toilet and before fixing food or eating.
Wear gloves if you have to touch other people's stool. Wash your hands afterwards.
Drink bottled water when you are in another country. (And don't use ice cubes or wash fruits and vegetables in tap water.)

For More Information

You can also get information about hepatitis A from these groups:

American Liver Foundation
1425 Pompton Avenue
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009-1000
Tel: (800) 223-0179 (This is a free call.)
Hepatitis Foundation International
30 Sunrise Terrace
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009-1423
Tel: (800) 891-0707 (This is a free call.)

There are other types of hepatitis. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse also has booklets about hepatitis B and hepatitis C:

What I need to know about Hepatitis B

What I need to know about Hepatitis C

You can get a free copy of each of these booklets by calling (301) 654-3810, or by writing to

NDDIC
2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3570

Hepatitis information for health professionals is also available.

Image of the Hepatitis B and C booklets.

Acknowledgments
The individuals listed here provided editorial guidance or facilitated field testing for this publication. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse would like to thank these individuals for their contribution.

Bruce Bacon, M.D.
Division of
Gastroenterology
and Hepatology
School of Medicine
St. Louis University
St. Louis, MO Luby Garza-Abijaoude,
M.S., R.D., L.D.
Texas Department
of Health
Austin, TX Thelma Thiel,
R.N., B.A.
Hepatitis Foundation
International
Cedar Grove, NJ

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3570
E-mail: National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1980, the clearinghouse provides information about digestive diseases to people with digestive disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. NDDIC answers inquiries; develops, reviews, and distributes publications; and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about digestive diseases.

Publications produced by the clearinghouse are reviewed carefully for scientific accuracy, content, and readability.

This e-text is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse encourages users of this e-pub to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.

Back to Hepatitis Contents

NIH Publication No. 97-4244
October 1997

e-text last updated: February 1997