you ask a good question. sorting out the differences between the various strains of hepatitis can be confusing. hepatitis a is not uncommon even in children. hep-a is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver. (in fact that's what "hepatitis" means: inflammation of the liver. the "a" refers to the specific cause of the inflammation. ) a key symptom of hep-a is jaundice: a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. other symptoms may include diarrhea nausea and poor appetite. the usual way you get hep-a is by eating food contaminated with the fecal material of a person who's infected. yuck right? that's one reason why it's important to wash your fruits and vegetables. however hepatitis a can be transmitted in many ways including through sex and sharing needles. hepatitis a requires no treatment because it will run its course over a few weeks or months. usually a doctor will monitor liver function for awhile to make sure the liver is healing properly. after you've had hepatitis a a blood test will show antibodies to the virus. antibodies are immune system cells that fight the virus and give you immunity that should be life-long which means if you've had hep-a once you should never get it again. however you will always test positive for it even though you're immune. people who have never had hep-a can get vaccinated against it. wishing you well!
when you have hepatitis a as a child does it stay in you system for the rest of your life?