Hepatitis

Signs and Symptoms

Some forms of hepatitis produce no symptoms. But in other forms of hepatitis, symptoms that occur in the beginning are flu like:

1. Fever.

2. Nausea and vomiting.

3. Loss of appetite.

4. Abdominal pain.

5. Fatigue.

Other symptoms:

1. Dark urine.

2. Pale, clay-colored stools.

3. Jaundice- yellow eyes and skin.

What to do now

1. Don’t drink alcohol, if you have symptoms of hepatitis. It increases the risk of liver damage.

2. Stay home and get lots of rest. You don’t have to lie in bed, but you should lie down if you feel tired.

3. Drink at least ten glasses of water a day.

When to call a doctor

1. If you have two or more of the first symptoms listed or any of the less common symptoms, especially if you have been exposed to someone with hepatitis.

2. If you are recovering from hepatitis and you start to have symptoms again.

How to prevent it

1. Get vaccinated for hepatitis a if you are going to a foreign country where it’s wide spread.

2. Drink boilded water when traveling abroad. Don’t eat unpeeled or uncooked fruits and vegetables.

3. Wash your hands often with soap.

4. Practice safe sex: A sexual relationship with only one person you know to be uninfected is safest. If you have sex with more than one person, use latex condoms, even during oral sex, and never reuse a condom.

5. Don’t have unprotected sex with anyone whose sexual history you don’t know or who isn’t willing to be tested for HIV.

6. Avoid anal sex; it increases your risk because of the chance of bleeding.

7. Hugging, kissing (any part of the body), message, and touching are safe activities.

8. Don’t drink alcohol. If however, you must don’t take more than 250 ml alcohol in any particular day if you’re man. But if you’re a woman you shouldn’t take more than 125 ml. Don’t drink more than three times a week.

9. Don’t use intravenous drugs.

10. When you like to have piercing, or tattooing, or acupuncture be sure that sterilized needles are used.

11.People infected with A or E hepatitis, shouldn’t touch other’s food or prepare it. Their bedding should be washed regularly.