Contaminated food and drinking water are similar to cold and food poisoning symptoms in the early stages of infection
Aug 21, 2024
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◇Hepatitis A infected with contaminated food and drinking water
Hepatitis is a disease in which the liver or hepatocytes are inflamed. It is usually caused by hepatitis virus such as type A, B, C, D, and E, drinking, drugs, and fatty liver. Among them, hepatitis A is an infectious disease that is mainly transmitted through contaminated food or water, unlike hepatitis B and C, which are transmitted through blood or sexual contact. Most heal naturally, but if you miss the time of treatment or treat it in an incorrect way, it can lead to scary complications, so care should be taken.
The possibility of exposure to hepatitis A increases if seafood such as clams and fish that are frequently encountered in summer is not cooked and eaten, or if street food or contaminated drinking water is consumed during overseas trips.
In particular, the virus becomes more active when the weather gets hot in summer, so it becomes more important to store, process, and consume food more fresh and safely to prevent contamination of food. You should be familiar with the correct storage method and practice hygiene rules well.
◇Similar to early cold and food poisoning symptoms...Risk of acute liver failure in severe cases
The first symptoms of hepatitis A are similar to colds or food poisoning. There are fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, and some complain of nausea or vomiting and abdominal pain. Symptoms may worsen with jaundice symptoms in which urine color darkens, fecal color brightens, and the whites of the skin or eyes turn yellow within a few days after initial symptoms develop. Most hepatitis A patients can recover within a few weeks after initial symptoms appear, but some patients may have symptoms lasting several months.
If left untreated, symptoms may worsen, liver damage may progress, resulting in acute liver failure. Liver failure is a scary life-threatening situation and requires immediate treatment. Although very rare, liver transplantation may be necessary if liver damage is very severe. Of course, patients with normal immunity rarely go to liver transplantation due to hepatitis A infection alone. However, patients with hepatitis B or other liver diseases have severe symptoms and a longer recovery period.
◇Enough rest and high-protein nutrition are important...The most obvious way to prevent it is to get vaccinated
First of all, no drug has been developed to treat hepatitis A virus. Therefore, treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms and alleviating patients' discomfort and pain. Sufficient rest and high-protein nutrition are especially important. In the case of patients with severe symptoms, inpatient treatment may relieve symptoms. Alcohol consumption that puts a burden on the liver must be avoided, as symptoms can worsen and the recovery period can be longer.
There is no therapeutic drug, but hepatitis A has the surest preventive measure: vaccination. The vaccine consists of two doses and can acquire long-term immunity. Hepatitis A in Korea has a high age group of patients in their 30s and 40s, and the reason is also related to vaccination. This is because those in their 30s and 40s are a generation where hepatitis A vaccination has not been common in the past. Recently, as hepatitis A vaccination has become more common, the incidence of hepatitis A among children and adolescents has decreased significantly.
Currently, hepatitis A vaccines can be vaccinated immediately without antibody testing for those under the age of 40. It is recommended that people over 40 years of age be inoculated only if they do not have antibodies after antibody testing. If you have not yet been vaccinated, especially if you have other hepatitis or liver disease, you should consider vaccination.
◇How to prevent hepatitis A in daily life
Hepatitis A is a disease that can be prevented with a little care. As previously emphasized, if you are vaccinated and pay special attention to personal hygiene, you can prevent the hepatitis A virus. Especially in summer, you must wash your hands often, eat well-cooked food, and drink purified water. In addition, if you have suspected hepatitis A symptoms, it is important not to overlook it and seek early treatment.
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bellho@sportschosun.com
