- Hepatitis A - do not forget to wash your hands!
- Signs
- Treatment
Symptoms of hepatitis A
In the course of hepatitis A can be divided into four periods: incubation, preicteric, jaundice and a convalescence period. The incubation period of hepatitis A virus is from one to two to six to seven weeks, the average - month. At this time in the body is an active virus multiplication and after the number reaches a critical level, the typical symptoms of the disease appear. The incubation period for hepatitis A lasts the more, the stronger immune system sick.
Prodromal (preicteric period or precursors) period lasts one - two weeks, sometimes less. At this time, there are common symptoms, which are easily confused with any other infection. Starts disease is more acute, with fever, chills, headaches, pain in joints and muscles. Sometimes there is pain in the abdomen indefinite nature and various digestive disorders (flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, and so on). Almost all patients develop severe weakness and irritability
Irritability - you try to control my temper
.
The blood in this period can be found elevated liver enzymes (ALT, AST), which are released into the blood from the cells destroyed by viruses. By the end of the prodromal period is found in the blood increased bilirubin (mainly direct).
Symptoms of hepatitis A in the icteric period - is increasing yellowness sclera and skin, dark urine, discolored feces, significant itching and pain or a feeling of heaviness in the right hypochondrium. This phase of the disease lasts no more than one month, an average of 7 - 10 days. The liver is increased in this period, painful, and sometimes enlarged spleen. Almost always, you can touch and enlarged lymph nodes
Lymph nodes - what keeps our immune system
. He suffers from the pancreas: it decreases the secretion of digestive juices and insulin. Often during this period, patients are irritable, they develop depression. Characterized by mood swings from depression
Depression - a little more than a bad mood
and drowsiness to the excitement.
In general, analysis of the blood of patients in the icteric period can see a decrease in the total number of leukocytes and the relative increase in the content of one of their parts - lymphocytes, which is a sign of viral infection. At the same time reduces the number of platelets in the blood, it leads to a violation of its clotting and a tendency to bleed. In the biochemical analysis of blood revealed the increase of bilirubin (mostly direct), elevated liver enzymes, a slight decrease in the protein content in blood serum and Dysproteinemia - a violation of the relation between the individual protein fractions (decrease of albumin and increase - gammaglobulins).
The period of convalescence all symptoms regress: restores appetite decreases and then disappears yellowness of the skin and sclera, reduced the size of the liver and gradually restored blood biochemistry. The length of this period - from one week to two, but may be more.
Current hepatitis A virus can be mild, moderate and severe, including massive hepatic necrosis and life threatening mole. Symptoms of hepatitis A can be very different, including sometimes completely absent jaundice (anicteric forms of hepatitis), sometimes hepatitis
Hepatitis - the scourge of our time
It takes place under the guise of acute respiratory viral infection, appendicitis, and so on.
Lightning (fulminant) hepatitis A form pose a threat to the patient's life. They are characterized by a rapid increase in toxicity and all symptoms of hepatitis amid heavy changes in the liver up to its extensive areas of necrosis.
Symptoms of hepatitis A in children
Hepatitis A is widespread among children, while more common in younger children. Less sick infants, however, it is possible development of the disease at any age including in neonates (children more often up to a year hepatitis B).
Viral hepatitis A in older children the same symptoms as adults. However, there are some features. For example, children often marked by acute onset of the disease with a short-term (within two to three days), the temperature increase to high numbers, and the frequent presence of catarrhal symptoms as sore throat and runny nose. Preicteric period of the disease they are shorter than adults. Joint pain in children predzheltushnogo period are rare. Jaundice is growing faster than in adults, but is rarely itchy skin.
Hepatitis A in children in severe disease characterized by rapid, short predzheltushnogo period and severe intoxication. The liver is increased to a considerable size, dramatically increases the intensity of jaundice, blood biochemistry rise to high numbers.