Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Hepatitis B is transmitted when blood, semen, or another body fluid from a person infected with the Hepatitis B virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. This can happen through sexual contact; sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment; or from mother to baby at birth. For some people, hepatitis B is an acute, or short-term, illness but for others, it can become a long-term, chronic infection. Risk for chronic infection is related to age at infection: approximately 90% of infected infants become chronically infected, compared with 2%–6% of adults. Chronic Hepatitis B can lead to serious health issues, like cirrhosis or liver cancer. The best way to prevent Hepatitis B is by getting vaccinated.

Types of Hepatitis B

Acute hepatitis B is a short-term illness that occurs within the first 6 months after someone is exposed to the hepatitis B virus. An acute infection can range in severity from a mild illness with few or no symptoms to a serious condition requiring hospitalization. Some people, especially adults, are able to clear the virus without treatment. People who clear the virus become immune and cannot get infected with the hepatitis B virus again. Acute infection can — but does not always — lead to chronic infection.

Chronic hepatitis B is a lifelong infection with the hepatitis B virus. Over time, chronic hepatitis B can cause serious health problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death.

How is hepatitis B spread?

The hepatitis B virus is spread when blood, semen, or other body fluid infected with the hepatitis B virus enters the body of a person who is not infected. People can become infected with the virus from:
Birth (spread from an infected mother to her baby during birth)
Sex with an infected partner
Sharing needles, syringes, or drug preparation equipment
Sharing items such as toothbrushes, razors or medical equipment such as a glucose monitor with an infected person
Direct contact with the blood or open sores of an infected person
Exposure to blood from needlesticks or other sharp instruments of an infected person





Who is at risk for hepatitis B?

Although anyone can get hepatitis B, some people are at greater risk:
Infants born to infected mothers
People who inject drugs or share needles, syringes, or other drug equipment
Sex partners of people with hepatitis B
Men who have sexual contact with men
People who live with a person who has hepatitis B
Health care and public safety workers exposed to blood on the job
Hemodialysis patients



Prevention

The best way to prevent hepatitis B is by getting vaccinated.



What are the symptoms of acute hepatitis B?

Fever
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Dark urine
Clay-colored bowel movements
Joint pain
Jaundice (yellow color in the skin or the eyes)



What are the symptoms of chronic hepatitis B?

Most individuals with chronic hepatitis B do not have any symptoms, do not feel ill, and can remain symptom free for decades. When and if symptoms do appear, they are similar to the symptoms of acute infection, but can be a sign of advanced liver disease. About 1 in 4 people who become chronically infected during childhood and about 15% of those who become chronically infected after childhood will eventually die from serious liver conditions, such as cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) or liver cancer. Even as the liver becomes diseased, some people still do not have symptoms, although certain blood tests for liver function might begin to show some abnormalities.



Treatment

How is acute hepatitis B treated?

There is no medication available to treat acute hepatitis B. During this short-term infection, doctors usually recommend rest, adequate nutrition, and fluids, although some people may need to be hospitalized.


How is chronic hepatitis B treated?

It depends. People with chronic hepatitis B should seek the care or consultation of a doctor with experience treating hepatitis B. This can include some internists or family medicine practitioners, as well as specialists such as infectious disease physicians, gastroenterologists, or hepatologists (liver specialists). People with chronic hepatitis B should be monitored regularly for signs of liver disease and evaluated for possible treatment. Several medications have been approved for hepatitis B treatment, and new drugs are in development. However, not every person with chronic hepatitis B needs to be on medication, and the drugs may cause side effects in some patients. Once a person starts treatment, he or she will need to take medication for life.