 [ Symptoms ] when you have hepatitis a as a child does it stay in you system for the rest of your life [ Disease ] 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 is 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 is infected yuck right that is one reason why it is 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 have 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 have had hep a once you should never get it again however you will always test positive for it even though you are immune people who have never had hep a can get vaccinated against it wishing you well