How to Get Tested for Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A, formerly known as infectious hepatitis, is a liver disease that can affect anyone. A hepatitis A test may be ordered if you exhibit symptoms of the infection or if you are preparing to have the vaccination against it. Follow these steps to obtain a test.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Blood test
• Doctor

1. Visit your doctor if you exhibit any signs of hepatitis A or if you feel you may have been recently exposed. Symptoms can include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and low-grade fever. You may also experience loss of appetite, muscle twitches and darker than normal urine.

2. Consider all possible sources of infection when telling your doctor about your exposure to hepatitis A. While it is unlikely that you were infected by a coworker or schoolmate, you should let your doctor know about any possible contact.

3. Have your blood drawn for a hepatitis test. The test will determine how well your liver is functioning and detect the hepatitis A virus. Usually your doctor will test for hepatitis B and hepatitis C as well.

4. Expect a normal result if the blood sample does not contain any anti-HAV (hepatitis A) antibodies. This means you were not exposed to the virus and you have not had it in the past.

5. Know that IgM anti-HAV can be detected about five to 10 days after an initial infection with hepatitis A, when symptoms are present and for several months after the symptoms have cleared up. The presence of any IgM anti-HAV antibodies indicates a recent infection with hepatitis A.

6. Understand that the presence of IgG anti-HAV means that hepatitis A cannot be the cause of your liver inflammation or symptoms. If these antibodies are detected, it means that you've had a hepatitis A infection in the past and are now immune to the virus.

Tips & Warnings

• Unlike hepatitis B and hepatitis C, hepatitis A does not cause long-term sickness or disease. Most symptoms disappear about nine months to one year after infection.
• The hepatitis A test actually tests for two antibodies, IgG and IgM. However, you will only have blood drawn once.
• While symptoms may be minimal, hepatitis A is contagious, so you should be tested if you find out you were exposed, even if you don't have any signs of the virus.
• There is no treatment for hepatitis A, but an immune globulin injection, given within two weeks of exposure, may prevent symptoms from appearing.

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