Medicines

For most people, your immune system will get rid of hepatitis A and you will feel better in a few weeks. But it can take up to 6 months to fully recover.

There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. But if you have symptoms you can talk to your doctor about medicines to help. For example, pain killers and treatments to help with itching or feeling sick.

Always talk to your doctor about which medicines to take.

One of your liver’s jobs is to process medicines and make sure you do not get too much of them. While you have hepatitis A, your liver might not be able to do this as well as normal. So, you might need to avoid some common over the counter medicines until you are better. Or take a lower dose than you normally would.

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Treatment for more severe cases

In rare cases hepatitis A can cause more serious damage to your liver.

People who already have a long term (chronic) liver disease have a greater risk of becoming very unwell if they pick up the hepatitis A virus.

The liver is amazingly resilient. But it can only take so much. If it is already struggling, then having to deal with hepatitis A as well can be too much.  In the most severe cases the liver can stop working. Doctors call this “acute-on-chronic liver failure”.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure needs to be treated in hospital. Possibly in an intensive care unit. If the damage is long lasting, then a liver transplant could be the only way to cure the problem.

Find out more about acute-on-chronic liver failure

Find out more about liver transplants here

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Stopping the spread

Hepatitis A  is usually spread when the virus gets onto food or into drinking water. More rarely it can be spread by close physical contact, such as sex. It can be passed on for 7 days after you start to get jaundice or other symptoms. So during this time:

• Do not go to work or school
• Limit your contact with other people
• Wash your hands really well after going to the toilet
• Ask your doctor about medicines and other ways to cope with symptoms
• Do not prepare food for other people
• Use a condom or dam if you have sex
• Do not share needles with anyone else

Close contacts of someone who has hepatitis A might also be asked to take action to protect themselves. And to stop the spread of the condition.  This could include:

• Having a vaccine
• Not preparing food for other people, especially people outside your household
• Taking extra care when changing the nappy of a baby with hepatitis A

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