Call your health care provider in any of the following situations. He or she will probably want to see you.

• You have nausea and vomiting that does not go away in 1-2 days.
• Your skin or eyes turn yellow, or your urine is dark-brownish in color.
• You have pain in your abdomen (belly).
• You think that you might have been exposed to someone with hepatitis or think that you might be at risk for any reason.
• You have other medical problems and think that you might have hepatitis.

If you cannot reach your health care provider, or if you have any of the following symptoms, go to a hospital emergency department without delay.

• You are vomiting and cannot keep down any fluids. You are having severe pain or high fever. You are becoming confused, delirious, or difficult to awaken

Self-Care at Home

If you have symptoms, these measures will help you feel better faster.

• Take it easy; get plenty of rest.
• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
• Do not drink alcohol of any kind, including beer, wine, and hard liquor.
• Avoid medicines and substances that can cause harm to the liver such as acetaminophen and other preparations that contain acetaminophen.
• Avoid prolonged, vigorous exercise until symptoms start to improve.

Follow-up

Follow all instructions that your health care provider gives you. A healthy lifestyle is more important than ever.

• Eat a varied, healthy diet, take part in some physical activity daily, and get plenty of rest.
• Drink plenty of water and other noncaffeinated fluids to stay well hydrated.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages and medicines such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that can be harmful in people with liver disease.
• If you have symptoms, avoid prolonged or vigorous physical exercise until your symptoms improve.
• If symptoms worsen at any time, contact your doctor.

The better you take care of yourself, the more likely you will be one of the many individuals who do well for many years.

Prevention

Right now, there is no vaccine for the prevention of HIV transmission. The best means of preventing transmission of HIV is to prevent contact with infected blood and organs and to avoid high-risk sexual behavior such as multiple partners and anal contact.

Avoiding alcohol and drugs that can damage the liver may help slow the rate of progression of the disease.