Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Viral hepatitis; Infectious hepatitis
Symptoms
Symptoms will usually show up 2 - 6 weeks after being exposed to the hepatitis A virus. They are usually mild, but may last for up to several months, especially in adults.
Symptoms include:
Dark urine Fatigue Itching Loss of appetite - Low-grade
fever Nausea and vomiting - Pale or
clay-colored stools - Yellow skin (jaundice)
Signs and tests
The doctor will perform a physical examination and may discover that you have an enlarged and tender liver.
Blood tests may show:
- Raised IgM and IgG
antibodies to hepatitis A (IgM is usually positive before IgG) - Elevated liver enzymes (
liver function tests ), especially transaminase enzyme levels
Review Date: 11/23/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of
Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San
Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
