About Hepatits B

Overview

Hepatitis B is a highly contagious infection of the liver, which can range from mild to severe. Hepatitis B can be classified as acute or chronic, depending on how long the virus remains in the body. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hepatitis B affects more than 350 million people worldwide.

Cause and Transmission

Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis virus and is spread through blood, semen and other bodily fluids. The most common methods of transmission are sexual activities, sharing drug paraphernalia, donating blood, medical workers handling infected needles and through birth, between mother and child.
Some less common ways of transmitting this disease are coming in contact with open sores on infected individuals, sharing razors, sharing toothbrushes and sharing a toilet seat or swimming pool with an infected individual.

Symtpoms

On average, symptoms usually show about 90 days after infection. Acute hepatitis B has the following symptoms: joint pain, jaundice, dark urine, fatigue, fever, nausea, loss of appetite and vomiting. Chronic hepatitis B can lead to severe liver conditions like cirrhosis and cancer.

Testing

Doctors can perform numerous blood tests to diagnose hepatitis B. These blood tests look for antigens and antibodies that are directly related to the hepatitis B virus. Antigens are substances on the virus that cause the body to produce antibodies for protection. In addition to blood tests, doctors can also perform CT scans and liver biopsies.

Treatments

According to the CDC, there are no medications available to treat acute hepatitis B. However, there are several medications used to treat chronic hepatitis B. These medications help prevent the virus from replicating within the body's cells and help boost the immune system.
There are serious side effects to chronic hepatitis B medications that include reduction of red blood cells, kidney problems and worsening symptoms that are associated with hepatitis B, like jaundice and fatigue.

Prevention

The hepatitis B vaccine is the best way to prevent getting the virus, other than avoiding exposure. This vaccine is a series of three or four shots over a six-month period. These shots help stimulate the immune system to produce the antibodies to fight the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
The CDC recommends that the following individuals get vaccinated: all unvaccinated individuals, infants, sexually active individuals, health care workers, drug users, people who travel to places with a high rate of the HBV, and individuals who already have serious kidney and liver conditions.