Hepatitis B

Overview:

In general, the term hepatitis refers to inflammation or swelling of the liver. Hepatitis B is liver inflammation caused specifically by the hepatitis B virus, HBV. According to the World Health Organization, over two billion people have been infected with the hepatitis B virus, which includes an estimated 350 million individuals who are chronic carriers of the disease.

There may be no symptoms of Hepatitis B upon initial infection, however, acute viral Hepatitis B will generally present with a general feeling of sickness, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting, body aches and mild fever, dark urine, and then may proceed to development of jaundice over the course of several weeks. Itchy skin has also been reported as a symptom, and some individuals may become very sick, which called fulminant hepatitis. This can lead to liver disease called fulminant hepatic failure, which can be fatal. If the body is able to fight the disease off symptoms should go away over a period of weeks or months.

Individuals whose bodies are unable to completely fight off the infection will have chronic Hepatitis B. They may neither display any symptoms nor appear sick in any way. Often they will not even know that they are infected. The danger is that they are able to infect others, and with chronic Hepatitis B, long term liver damage occurs, often resulting in cirrhosis of the liver. This dramatically increases incidences of liver cancer.

Causes:

Hepatitis B is spread through either percutaneous (skin puncture) or mucosal contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals. These include blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or other bodily fluids. This can occur in a variety of ways, for example, direct contact with blood in a hospital or other healthcare environment, sexual contact with someone infected, infected needles (acupuncture, drug, or tattoo), the sharing of personal items like toothbrushes or razors, or birth to an infected mother.

Diagnosis:

Testing to diagnose Hepatitis B involves blood and serum tests, called assays, which detect the presence of viral antigens or antibodies. If the presence of either is detected, resulting in a positive diagnosis of Hepatitis B, a liver biopsy may be done in order to determine whether there the disease has caused liver damage.

Treatment:

In most cases, the body will fight off the Hepatitis B on its own (acute Hepatitis B). Ample bed rest, eating healthy foods, and drinking plenty of fluids is essential to helping the body do its work. It is also important to do blood testing during recovery to monitor and ensure that the liver is not sustaining damage.

For chronic Hepatitis B sufferers, treatment may be recommended depending upon whether or not the infection is worsening, and whether or not liver damage is occurring. Most chronic Hepatitis B patients are able to live full and active lives by monitoring their health (eating habits, exercise, etc...) and getting regular check-ups. Sufferers of acute and chronic Hepatitis B should both avoid alcohol and drugs, and in either case, liver failure may occur and a liver transplant may be necessary.

How Associates in Gastroenterology can help:

If you have any questions, or fear that you may be experiencing symptoms of Hepatitis B, we would like to help. The physicians and staff of Associates in Gastroenterology have many years of experience diagnosing and treating a range of gastrointestinal, liver and pancreatic diseases. Please give us a call today!