Hepatitis b
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver and can cause a range of health problems, including liver disease and liver cancer. It is spread through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person.
Causes[edit | edit source]
Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus. This virus is spread through direct contact with infected blood or body fluids. This can occur through sexual contact, sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment, or from mother to baby at birth.
Symptoms[edit | edit source]
Many people with hepatitis B do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected. If symptoms occur, they can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain, and jaundice.
Diagnosis[edit | edit source]
Hepatitis B is diagnosed with a blood test. The test looks for parts of the virus (antigens) in the blood, as well as antibodies produced in response to the virus.
Treatment[edit | edit source]
There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. However, chronic hepatitis B can be treated with antiviral medications. This can slow the progression of cirrhosis, reduce incidence of liver cancer and improve long term survival.
Prevention[edit | edit source]
The best way to prevent hepatitis B is by getting the hepatitis B vaccine. The vaccine is safe and effective and is usually given as 3-4 shots over a six-month period.
See also[edit | edit source]
Hepatitis b Resources | ||
---|---|---|
|
|
Translate to: East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.Contributors: Admin, Prab R. Tumpati, MD