Hepatitis A Symptoms: Noticing This Color Pee And Poop Could Be Warning Signs

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection that affects more than 1.4 million individuals every year. The deadly disease is caused by a virus that causes inflammation that affects an individual’s liver function. The signs and symptoms don’t usually appear until a person has been infected with the virus for a few weeks. But, in some cases, hepatitis-A patients can develop some signs.

Dark yellow or dark brown colored clear urine is a clear sign of liver disorder including acute viral hepatitis, which causes excess bilirubin in the urine. Clay-colored stools indicate that an individual might have a problem with the drainage of the biliary system or a liver infection such as hepatitis A that reduces bile production.

Other symptoms of hepatitis A indicate fatigue, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or discomfort, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, joint pain, jaundice, and severe itching. Although these symptoms might be relatively mild and disappear within a few weeks, in some cases, the infection can result in a severe illness that lasts several months.

The Mayo Clinic urges individuals who think to have signs or symptoms of hepatitis A to consult their doctor at the earliest.

Those who might have, recently, traveled out of the country to areas with poor sanitation, been to restaurants that report a hepatitis A outbreak, those who had sexual contact or stayed close to someone infected with hepatitis A might be at a higher risk of getting the disease and are advised to get vaccinated against it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a hepatitis A vaccine for:

• Children aged 1 or older who hadn’t received the childhood vaccine
• Infants aged 6-11 months who travel internationally
• Men who indulge in same-sex relationships
• Individuals who use illicit drugs
• Those with clotting-factor disorders
• Those with chronic liver diseases including hepatitis C or B

Unlike other types of viral hepatitis, hepatitis A neither becomes chronic nor causes long-term liver damage. However, in rare cases, the condition can lead to a sudden loss of liver function, especially among those individuals with chronic liver diseases and in older adults.