After the virus enters the body, there are no symptoms for two to six weeks (the incubation
period). Some people, particularly young children, may only have a mild illness. They may not know they are infected, although they can pass on the virus to others.
A few people (especially older) develop a serious illness and need to be looked after in hospital.
However, there may be general symptoms – often mistakenly diagnosed as flu – such as tiredness, aches and pains, a fever and/or a loss of appetite. There may also be nausea (feeling sick), sickness, stomach ache and/or diarrhoea. These symptoms may last for a week or more. Then jaundice may develop. Jaundice is easily noticeable because the whites of the eyes go yellow, and in more serious cases the skin goes yellow, urine may turn dark and bowel motions become pale.
Jaundice is caused by too much of a yellow substance called bilirubin building up in the body. Bilirubin is a waste product from the breakdown of red blood cells which the liver normally gets rid of by passing it out in your bowel motions. When the liver is not working properly, bilirubin builds up in the body.
It will take a while to recover from hepatitis A. Most people feel better within a few weeks, although they may feel tired and lack energy for many more months. Once you have recovered, you will never be infected with hepatitis A again. Unlike other hepatitis viruses, the illness does not cause long-term liver damage.
The illness may last longer and be more severe in a few people. The illness tends to be more serious in older people and, on rare occasions, it can cause liver damage that could kill.